Annie Loves Armin
by Katlana Child
Summary: Kids can be so cruel with their taunts, Annie discovers soon after rescuing Armin from a few first-grader bullies. Throughout the next several years as they grow up together, will Annie realize the truth behind these taunts, or will her relationship with Armin cease to exist? Cover Art by: ermione wu on Instagram!
1. Chapter One: Annie Loves Armin

Chapter One: Annie Loves Armin

She had initially heard that horrific chant as a first-grader.

She remembered people she had considered more than just acquaintances gathering around her and repeating those three words over and over. "Annie loves Armin! Annie loves Armin!" Just thinking about it made her shudder. Kids were so cruel. Not only just to her but also to the boy she was said to have loved.

Armin Arlert was a bright kid and the star-student of every classroom. Teachers adored his intelligence and the bullies adored the fact that he was weak and unable to separate himself from fights. They would often corner him, first throwing the worst insults any six-year-old could come up with. Some got creative and added physical harm. Of course, they would do all this during recess and out of sight of their instructor. As recess would conclude and the children lined back up, Armin would slowly join them, his nose bleeding and tears streaming down his cheeks. Their teacher was immediately concerned, but in a quivering voice tainted with tears, he'd assure her that he fell during a game of tag with his friends. It was obvious their teacher didn't believe him, but she couldn't intervene if he chose not to tell her the truth. (A flaw in the education system, Annie concluded.)

It was spring time when Annie first heard the chants she had grown to despise throughout her elementary years. Their teacher had released them for an extended recess while she prepared a science lab for them later that morning. Eren and Mikasa were both home sick with a nasty virus that had taken out most of their class earlier that week, so Armin quietly lurked around the playground, a picture book in hand. Annie stood next to her friends, Reiner, Bertholdt, Mina, and Ymir. The four were immersed in a conversation about a television program Annie had no interest in, so her mind wandered to the blond boy walking around the premises of the playground.

He finally found a quiet place near the corner of their school building and sat in the grass, opening the book and munching on the carrots his grandfather had provided as a snack. Perhaps that's why the others treated him so differently; he had a grandfather instead of a mother or father. Annie didn't quite know if that was the reason, but it was certainly plausible.

It wasn't long after when his bullies began to approach. She could see Armin tense, but his attention remained on his book. There were three of them, all towering over the tiny genius. Kent, the leader of the trio, grinned maliciously towards his target. He began to speak, but Annie couldn't decipher what he was saying. Garret, the obvious muscle of the group, made a snide remark and the three laughed, turning towards Armin to see if he had also heard what had been said. Armin ignored them and turned a page. He reached for another carrot and that's when the third, a boy named Bryan, struck.

He seized Armin's wrist and yanked him upwards. The boy yelped in pain and tried to free himself, but to no avail. Kent got up in his face, spewing words of hatred no doubt. Even though he was quite far away from her, Annie could see Armin begin to cry. He clenched his eyes shut and turned away. Kent began talking louder and this time, Annie caught two words. "...Worthless orphan!" Garret kicked Armin's shins, causing him to collapse. His wrist was released, but now he was curled up, covering his head with his arms. The bullies continued to lay blows upon the smaller child and with each successful hit, Armin let out a cry of pain.

Annie didn't know what convinced her to act the way she did. She didn't know Armin, aside from his brilliant remarks in class. She didn't care about the other times he had gotten assaulted by these three. Maybe, due to the lack of his comrades, she believed she had to do something. Anything to at least cease the beating until Mikasa and Eren came back. No matter what excuse she tried to come up with, it didn't change the fact that she was striding over to the four boys. She clenched her fist and stood upright. She heard Bertholdt call out her name, but her friends made no attempt at following her.

"Hey," she called out to Kent, Bryan, and Garret. Kent faced her as the other two ceased their brutal attacks on Armin.

"What do you want?" he growled, glaring at her.

"Leave Armin alone," she responded harshly. She saw Armin briefly glance up at her, his eyes red and snot dripping from his nose. Aside from looking pathetic, he also looked incredibly embarrassed. She didn't blame him; in their society, the men were supposed to be stronger than the girls.

"Or what?" Bryan mocked. "You'll tell Teacher?"

Annie shook her head. "No. I'll do this." She drew her fist back and knocked Kent right in his stupid face. She heard the crack of his nose as her fist made contact and, though it might have been frowned upon, she felt satisfied. The leader stumbled onto the ground, cupping his nose, and looking up at her in horror. She faced the other two and they backed away. Bryan and Garret pulled Kent up and they darted away, like terrified dogs with their tails between their legs. She heard Kent break out into tears as they ran and she turned towards Armin, attempting to hide her satisfaction.

She stretched out her hand and he reluctantly took it. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice lightly lined with worry.

Armin winced as he stood straight, but nodded. Annie looked back down and picked up his books and the mangled bag of carrots. Shyly, she presented the items to him and he slowly took them. "Th-thank you," he said and Annie shrugged. He didn't deserve the bullying and everyone knew that. She wondered, however, if Armin understood that as well. He was always so submissive around them.

Rushed footsteps approached them. Armin's face blanched and Annie turned around, anxious to see what continued to ail the genius before her. Their teacher stood above them. Annie felt her stomach drop and knew exactly why Ms. Harrow had been summoned. She cursed Kent and his stupid friends in her mind before their teacher made a grab for their hands.

"You two are coming with me," she announced and led them across the playground and back into the school building. Annie glanced to Armin, still bleeding and crying, but quieter. He had never gotten in trouble and maybe he was fearing for the worst. Annie wondered what they did for good kids who had gone bad. Were their punishments far more severe? She rarely got into trouble herself, but her record wasn't as clean as Armin's. The boy was practically a saint.

They entered the principal's office. Ms. Ral looked baffled when she saw the children and her face contorted in worry when she saw the extent of Armin's injuries. She jumped from her desk. "Ms. Harrow, what's going on?"

"Three of my students came to me and told me that Annie had been beating them and Mr. Arlert up," Ms. Harrow informed. Annie had never heard her teacher sound so disappointed, but her own rage inside of her was boiling over. _Those rats,_ she thought. _They accused me of hurting Armin._

Ms. Ral walked around her desk and knelt to Armin's height. He refused to make eye contact. She gently turned his head to look at his injuries. Bruises were starting to become apparent in his pale skin and she sighed heavily. "Oh Armin," she whispered softly, like a mother tending to her injured child. "I'll call your grandfather." She stood back up and looked towards Annie-a look so filled with disappointment Annie felt her face burn in embarrassment. "And I'll be in contact with your father as well, Annie." She returned to her seat and nodded towards Ms. Harrow. "Take Armin to the nurse's office. I'm going to talk with Annie."

Annie looked back at Armin expectantly. Wasn't he going to defend her? She had saved him, not attacked him. Yet, he remained silent as Ms. Harrow led him out of Ms. Ral's office, avoiding Annie's piercing gaze. She felt even more anger boil up within her tiny body. _That traitor. That's the last time I'm saving his stupid face from any danger._

"Miss Leonhardt," Ms. Ral spoke up and Annie faced her principal. "What were you thinking?"

"Kent, Bryan, and Garret were beating Armin up!" she supplied quickly. "I didn't hurt Armin! I promise!"

"Even if that is true, you still hurt another student. Kent's going to have to go to the hospital to get his nose fixed."

Annie hadn't considered that, but it didn't matter. They had been targeting Armin the whole year and when they finally got what was coming to them, they were being babied, as if they were nothing but angelic students who had a run in with a she-devil, which to be fair wasn't entirely false.

"And I doubt your father is going to be happy when I tell him what you did," Ms. Ral continued and Annie shook her head. He wasn't exactly father of the year when it came to conflicts like this. The moment she screwed up this bad, he made sure she was punished accordingly. It was no secret that Annie's father was particularly hard on her when she got in trouble. She wouldn't consider it abuse; she knew he still loved her. He was just trying to shape her into the best woman she could be, even if his methods were a little...Rough.

Ms. Ral picked up her office phone and began to make the call. Annie sighed and took a seat in front of her desk. She heard her father pick up and answer in his gruff voice.

"This is the Leonhardt residence," he greeted and Ms. Ral immediately put on her "nice-voice", which continued to frustrate Annie.

"Mr. Leonhardt," she responded, "it's Ms. Ral, from Garrison Elementary."

"Well this is a surprise," Mr. Leonhardt sighed. "Is Annie alright?"

"Actually, Sir, we have had a little incident at the school involving Annie and a few other students..."

Annie later learned she would be suspended for three days. When her father came to pick her up, he was absolutely furious. Annie tried to explain what had happened, and surprisingly, he believed that she didn't harm Armin. He reminded her, however, that she was still responsible for hurting Kent and that he was going to have to pay for the boy's hospital expenses. He grounded her for two weeks.

When Annie returned to school on a rainy Friday, she was greeted by low whispers and hushed giggling. As she placed her belongings into her assigned cubby, Reiner approached her. She gave him a side-glance before pulling out her pencil box.

"So," he began, his voice light with amusement, "when are you and Armin getting married?"

She felt her cheeks burn. What was he talking about? All she did was save the poor fool, and he didn't even defend her when she was accused of hurting him. The last thing on her mind was becoming his companion. She faced her friend trying to maintain an expression of fury, but her obvious blush made the taller one smile.

"ANNIE LOVES ARMIN!" he began to chant and skipped away from her oncoming fist. She growled in frustration as he continued to prance about the class, repeating himself over and over. Thankfully, many of the students had yet to arrive and their teacher had momentarily discarded the classroom to discuss matters of the utmost importance with Ms. Ral. Annie charged towards Reiner and punched his arm. He stopped immediately and grasped his throbbing bicep. "Ow! Hey! That hurts! I'm telling Ms. Harrow!"

Great...Another case of violence. Her father would surely be _thrilled_ with the new report. "I don't love Armin," Annie spat out. "All I did was save him from the bullies! And if you know what's good for you, you'll stop saying that stupid thing!"

Reiner's lips cracked into another smile. "What...THAT YOU LOVE ARMIN!"

If Bertholdt hadn't entered at that moment, Reiner would have been force-fed Play-Doh. Their lanky and nervous friend approached, smiling at the sight of Annie.

"You're back!" he exclaimed. "It felt like a bajillion years! I missed you!"

Though it was painfully obvious how much Bertholdt admired her, Annie accepted his kind words. Bertholdt never meant any harm. Reiner, on the other hand...

"Did you hear the news?" Reiner began quickly, grabbing his friend's arm. "Annie and Armin are going to get married!"

Bertholdt looked surprised but broke out into a smile. "You are?" he asked Annie, who clenched her fists tightly. It took everything she had to not assault Reiner.

"No," she growled. "I'm not marrying Armin! I DON'T LOVE ARMIN ARLERT!"

Ms. Harrow entered the classroom looking puzzled. "Annie," she started, "inside-voice, please!" Annie huffed and broke away from Bertholdt and Reiner, taking a seat at her assigned table that she shared with Sasha, Mikasa, and Jean. Reiner was about to make another approach, but Bertholdt stopped him. She was grateful he had more common sense than the blond, and even more so that those stupid chants would stop.

During lunchtime, the students had to stay inside due to the poor weather conditions. Annie liked eating lunch in their classroom, rather than in a large gym; it felt more personal. That and Ms. Harrow usually dug into her stash of candy and gave each student a piece. As Annie joined her friends in a separate corner, she caught sight of Armin moving towards Ms. Harrow's desk, Mikasa and Eren flanking his sides. His bruises were still prominent, but they showed signs of fading. His lip, that had been split during the ordeal, was beginning to seal. He looked like a mess, but the smile on his face said otherwise.

He mentioned something about a story he had been reading and Ms. Harrow grinned. He presented the book to her and she accepted it, turning the pages briefly as Armin summarized. Eren added his input and Mikasa nodded, confirming her adoptive brother's opinion.

So lost in her thoughts, Annie didn't notice Mina calling out to her. Reiner waved his hand in front of her face and she jolted back into reality. "What?" she snapped and Mina, taken aback by the sudden rudeness, quietly repeated herself.

"Ymir said she wants to play a board game and I wanted to know if you wanted to be on my team."

Feeling bad for having snapped at her, Annie felt obligated to agree. She nodded briefly and Ymir stood to retrieve the game. As she did so, Bertholdt asked Annie if she was feeling alright. She nodded once more and Bertholdt gave her a reassuring smile. Ymir returned shortly after and analyzed her group. "The teams are uneven," she declared.

"Two against three is fine," Annie muttered, but Reiner shook his head.

"No, it's not fair. Ymir, Bert and I have the advantage. You need one more person on your team." Annie was growing more and more frustrated. She saw no point in adding another player. She and Mina made a pretty great team, and Reiner knew that.

"Maybe we should ask _Armin_ to play," Reiner added with a thin smile. Annie shot him a look that clearly read, "Don't you dare", but the stupid blond was already on his feet. He approached Armin and his friends and began explaining their crisis. Annie hid her face. There was no way he'd accept. After all, they needed one person, and Mikasa, Eren, and Armin were a package deal. Everyone knew that. If anything, they'd only mess up the teams even more.

But to her surprise, the trio followed Reiner over. Mikasa sent a glare towards Armin's former protector, and she returned a similar gesture. "Mikasa and Eren are going to join too," he announced. "So the new teams are me, Ymir, Bertholdt, and Eren. Then it's Armin, Annie, Mina, and Mikasa." Armin looked alarmed and sent a worried glance towards Eren. Their lack of oral communication baffled Annie. They often had deep conversations without even saying a word. It was incredible. Eren nodded towards his timid friend and he sighed deeply before plopping next to Annie. Surprised by this, Annie scooted an inch further and the game began.

It was a simple board game. Teams rolled a dice to advance and they were asked questions depending on the colored square they landed on. Whoever made it to the end and answered a series of questions correctly became the winner. A paper crown accompanied the game long ago, but because so many previous students fought about who got to wear it after their victory, Ms. Harrow tore it up.

Ymir's team went first. She rolled a three and landed on a green square: the literature category. Mina pulled a trivia card from a deck and began to slowly sound out the words.

"What is always at the...the..." she leaned over to ask Annie what the proceeding word was.

"Beginning," Annie corrected and Mina continued, thanking her.

"What is always at the beginning of a sentence?" she concluded and Ymir looked towards the guys. Annie could feel Armin tense up; this was his kind of subject. She hoped he had played this game before and knew that shouting out the answer would penalize them. Thankfully, he kept quiet but continued to fidget as if trying to keep the answer from flying out of his mouth.

"A...'W'?" Reiner stated cautiously and Mina shook her head.

"Sorry Reiner," she said, "it's a...Capital letter!"

Reiner cursed lightly and Bertholdt assured him that it was only the first question and that they would get the next one.

Mikasa rolled the dice for her team and moved five spaces. They landed on a purple square: the science category.

Eren reached over and picked a card. "What tool is used to...Measure temp...Temper..."

"Temperature?" Armin queried and Eren nodded.

"Yeah! That!" He shielded the card and nodded towards the opposing team. Annie cursed herself for forgetting this simple item. They had just learned about the weather last week. Ms. Harrow even let them use said device to see how cold it was outside this morning. She looked to her other teammates who seemed to be struggling just as much as she was. All, except Armin of course.

"A thermominator!" he called out and Eren nodded enthusiastically.

Their game continued. Occasionally they would get into ties, but Armin's intellect usually brought his team ahead. By the end of lunch, Annie's team reigned with ten points and Ymir's team fell behind with eight points. Ms. Harrow called for the students to put the games away and get ready for their math lecture. As Annie stood up and started moving towards her desk, a hand caught her. She looked back cautiously and into the eyes of Armin. He looked nervous but smiled anyway.

"I never got to really thank you for saving me," he informed and Annie jerked away.

"I still got in trouble because you didn't tell Ms. Ral that I didn't hurt you," she hissed.

Armin looked a little confused at first, and then his eyes grew wide. "Oh! No, I told Ms. Ral when my grandpa picked me up," he said quickly.

She felt horrible now. Her defensive stance slowly crumbled and she muttered an "okay" before returning to her desk. Armin looked like he wanted to say something else, but Eren was already leading him towards their table. Though he had rightfully avenged her, Annie was still upset and resolved to never speak to Armin again.

Until the sixth grade, that is.

* * *

 **A/N:** **I hope you enjoyed reading the first part of this fic! It's been sitting in my Documents folder for two years now and I thought I'd dust it off and share it with you all. Please leave feedback! I have yet to write the next chapter, but I'm hopeful that through posting this story before it's finished, I can obtain the motivation necessary to complete this story. Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon with the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter Two: A Midsummer's Nightmare

_**Five Years Later...**_

Ah, the fine years of raging hormones and pre-teen angst. Annie absolutely hated it. There was no doubt everyone was going through the same thing. The boys' voices were getting lower and some were starting to develop faint lines of facial hair. The girls were gaining curves and many had gone from bare to painted faces. No one had looked like they had years ago in the first grade, and quite similarly, no one acted the same.

Boys were the topic of every conversation within the group of girls (excluding Ymir who had it quite bad for a new transfer into their class, Historia Reiss). Mina talked about how charming Marco was. Sasha giggled about something she and Connie had done over the weekend. Mikasa bluntly mentioned how she thought it was sweet that Jean was so infatuated with her. When asked what she believed on the topic, Annie brushed it off with a shrug of her shoulders. Though she wasn't fond of any boy in particular, she had experienced these weird desires. _Crushes_ , Mina had called them. Of course, they lasted less than a week and often were impossible to achieve, such as a character in a book she had been reading or perhaps a celebrity in the papers. One of her classmates? Highly unlikely.

Perhaps she was like Ymir and fancied her own gender much more. Or maybe she was like her father, who found absolutely no interest in anyone whatsoever. She was so confused but chose not to dwell upon it.

The story was quite similar for the boys. Many of them quietly gossiped about the girls and which one they were interested in. Reiner and Armin both agreed that Historia was quite a beautiful addition to their classroom. Eren seemed indifferent to these pointless conversations, though admitted he admired Annie for her active participation in athletics. Bertholdt also confessed that he had feelings for Annie, but didn't dare act upon them in fear that he'd lose their valuable friendship. Marco said he didn't really care too much for crushes. He enjoyed everyone's presence. Jean and Connie, however, seemed to share mutual crushes with the girls who had admitted to liking them.

Part of their sixth-grade curriculum required them to put on a play about an old Shakespeare tale: A Midsummer Night's Dream. When their teacher, Mr. Smith, announced the opportunity, many of the students were ecstatic. Instead of their regularly scheduled class periods, they'd be spending most of their time perfecting this silly performance.

In preparation, Mr. Smith had the students write down the roles they wanted on a slip of paper, followed by three other roles if they weren't able to succeed in getting their first selection. When everyone received their parts, he immediately handed out the script and started talking about how magnificent this story truly was: a tale of love, humor, and deception. Annie doubted it would be that amusing, considering the low acting skill that everyone had.

Mr. Smith assigned her to play the role of Titania the fairy queen because she hadn't turned in a piece of paper. Bertholdt would be playing the role of her husband, Oberon. Eren took on the role of Demetrius, a man desperately in love with Hermia, played by Historia, and Helena, played by Sasha. Jean took on the mighty role of Lysander, a young, Athens man infatuated with Hermia. Connie received the role of Puck. Marco and Mina were gifted with the roles of Theseus and Hippolyta, respectively. Mikasa played the role of one of the fairies that accompanied Titania and Ymir happily took on the role of Egeus just so she could wear a fake beard. Reiner, upset that Ymir had taken the role he had wanted, now played Nick Bottom, AKA the ass of the film. Quite literally. Armin played Peter Quince, a humble carpenter and play-writer, often out-shined by the over confident Nick Bottom. Needless to say, Mr. Smith was pleased with his cast selection.

During most of their practices, it was clear that they weren't the best of actors and actresses. Connie and Sasha often rigged traps backstage when they weren't performing. During a rather tense scene between Annie and Bertholdt, Historia screeched when a bucket of water spilled on her head. Realizing their mistake and the anger of Historia's closest friend, Sasha and Connie darted onto the stage, followed by a seething Ymir. Mr. Smith apprehended the three and suspended them from performing that afternoon. When Connie complained about not being able to practice his lines, Mr. Smith calmly informed him that he was just going to have even more homework, to which Connie and Sasha both replied with pained groans and dramatic flops onto the floor, beside their instructor.

Additionally, Armin was so nervous, he kept stumbling over his lines and desperately looking towards their teacher so that he could be reminded of them. When Jean made a snide remark about Armin's forgetfulness, Eren punched him in the arm and Mikasa quietly insulted him. Annie also had a difficult time remembering her lines and didn't quite care. Bertholdt quietly urged her and she would dismiss him. Reiner would make up his own lines, much to Mr. Smith's displeasure.

Their lack of advancement caused their teacher to push their opening night back. He ordered everyone to work on their lines during their recesses. Suddenly their play didn't seem as exciting.

During one afternoon, as the students lingered inside their classroom, rehearsing their lines with one another, Annie sat in the corner with Reiner, Bertholdt, Mina and Ymir. Reiner complained that Mr. Smith had no sense of humor and that his additions to Shakespeare's dull portrayal of a love story were far more enticing. Mina assured that Mr. Smith had good intentions. Ymir snorted at this. She, too, admitted that Mr. Smith was humorless and far too concerned about the outcome of the stupid play. Annie felt similarly. They were supposed to be learning about Shakespeare and his unique style of writing. Not slaving over a crappy production that many of the parents wouldn't even attend.

Bertholdt was the only one who actually encouraged the others to work on their lines. Reiner still improvised, but surprisingly accomplished accurately reciting most of his lines. Annie couldn't care less and Ymir left halfway through, feigning a stomach virus. During the last hour before school concluded for the day, Armin tentatively approached the small group. Bertholdt immediately waved and Reiner smirked.

"Hey, Armin!" Bertholdt greeted cheerfully. Annie tensed at the mention of the boy and looked down at her script, avoiding any and all eye contact.

"Hey guys," Armin responded, waving back towards the group. His voice, unlike many of the boys in their class, remained just as light and airy as ever. He was often teased for this, but nothing more than playful prodding. He was certainly not assaulted for it like he was when he was much younger. "Eren and Mikasa had to go home early for a doctor's appointment, so I was wondering if I could study my lines with you all. I would ask someone else but..." He looked around the room towards the other students. Connie and Sasha were tearing pages from their scripts and forming them into spitballs and seeing who could hit their teacher first as he assisted Historia with her lines. Jean and Marco hid in a corner of the room, drawing things on white-boards and laughing as they told jokes. The only ones who appeared to be working were Bertholdt, Reiner, and Annie, so of course, Armin would attempt to find solace with them.

"Of course you can," Mina said happily. She gestured towards Ymir's empty chair and the blond boy sat, clutching his worn script in hand. His presence finally granted their tiny group with the motivation to continue working on their lines. He even offered some helpful tips his grandfather had told him the night before. But like she had done since that incident in first grade, Annie ignored him. The last thing she needed was for him to think they were friends.

When Mr. Smith called for the class to begin cleaning up before school let out, Annie and the others stood and moved their chairs back to the proper desks. As Annie made her way out into the hallway, retrieving her backpack from its labeled hook, Armin timidly approached her. "H-hey, Annie!" he greeted.

Annie froze, her hand clutching the handle of her bag. She clenched it and then faced Armin. "What," she demanded coldly. The tone of her voice caused Armin to gulp and laugh nervously.

"I just wanted to say you did really well with your lines today," he complimented, his voice shaking ever-so-slightly. Annie shrugged and started heading back to the classroom to wait for their teacher to officially release them, but Armin stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. She whipped around and glared at him.

"What?" she demanded once more, this time much louder. Many of the students also retrieving their things stopped to look at the two. Armin's face reddened, embarrassed by the sudden attention.

"I'm s-sorry, I just…" he began but was cut off by Reiner draping his arm over his quivering shoulders. "R-Reiner?"

"Lover's quarrel, huh?" he asked.

"Shut up," Annie growled.

"Or what?" Reiner asked with a thin smile, knowing very well she couldn't do anything. But he was wrong. Oh-so-wrong.

Annie didn't even bother to provide him with a verbal response. She charged forward, her knuckles connecting with Armin's nose as Reiner instinctively used the smaller boy as a shield. As soon as it had happened, Annie gasped, retracting in horror at her actions. "Armin!" she called out as the young boy stumbled backward, clutching his nose and quietly whimpering into his hands. "Oh my God, Armin, I'm so sorry!"

"Wow," Reiner whistled. Before he could make another snide remark, Annie pushed him away and approached Armin tentatively. Surprisingly, he didn't recoil in fear like she anticipated. Instead, he glanced up, tears in his striking blue eyes, and managed a weak laugh.

"You're really strong," he said through his obvious pain, his light voice quivering. Hearing his voice tremble the way it did made Annie feel exponentially worse about what she had done.

Noticing the students had yet to return to the classroom, Mr. Smith walked out. He was about to discipline all of them when he saw the situation Armin and Annie were in. "What the heck happened here?" he asked quickly, approaching the two.

"Annie punched Armin," Thomas called out. Annie sighed, knowing there was no way she could make it out of this one, what with the multitude of shocked and excited witnesses. Just like five years ago, she would be sent to the principal's office, shamed for her actions, and then sent home to a less-than-happy father. She opened her mouth to admit her heinous act, but Armin beat her to it.

"It was an accident, Mr. Smith," he assured. "Annie didn't mean to." Annie looked at him, her face contorted in an expression of absolute surprise. His eyes met her for a moment before returning to their teacher. "I'm fine. I just need some tissues, that's all."

Mr. Smith eyed the two suspiciously before ushering the class back inside and handing Armin a tissue box.

Needless to say, Annie's father was contacted that evening and informed of the incident. Despite Annie insisting she meant no harm to the boy, she was still punished accordingly. As she lay in bed that night after having scrubbed a majority of the house clean, Annie cursed Armin for getting her in trouble once more.

The following morning, as Annie walked into the school grounds, shouldering her backpack and shivering against the early-spring cold, she accidentally bumped into another kid. She looked up and gulped upon seeing the menacing glare of Mikasa Ackerman, accompanied by a not-so-happy Eren Jaeger.

"Sorry," Annie muttered under her breath and moved to the side to avoid confrontation, but she was stopped by Mikasa's firm grip on her shoulder. Annie sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping that if she was going to receive a beating from the two siblings, it would be over fast.

"We know what you did, Annie," Eren said darkly. Usually seeing the Jaeger boy so angry made Annie laugh, but knowing that it was directed towards her for hurting Armin, rather than for beating him in a game of soccer, Annie felt a twinge of fear spark within her gut. Eren Jaeger was a hot-headed, impulsive maniac, but the moment he felt his friends and family were threatened, he became an unstoppable force of strength and anger, and Annie knew this.

"It was an accident," Annie assured quickly. "I would never purposely hurt, Armin."

Mikasa scoffed loudly, producing a volume of sass that Annie had never seen from the adopted Jaeger child. "You've had it out for Armin since we were little," she said harshly. "We know you don't like him, Annie. So Eren and I are only going to say this once; stay away from him. Got it?"

Annie shrugged off Mikasa's firm grip and sent her a dark glare. Before she could input her affirmation, light footsteps approached them. The trio looked up from their intense confrontation and saw Armin, bounding towards them excitedly. His bruised nose was guarded in a medical splint, though this didn't stop a smile from forming on his face when he saw his friends.

"Hi guys!" he greeted and nodded towards Annie. "Hey, Annie. How are you doing?"

Annie felt the fierce gaze of the Jaeger siblings upon her and she sighed softly. "I'm okay. I gotta go." She turned on her heel and began walking away, but Armin followed quickly, calling her name. She tensed but didn't stop walking. The last thing she needed was for Mikasa to give her a broken nose to match Armin's.

After a week of avoiding Mikasa, Eren, and Armin and trying to study her lines, Annie and her father arrived at the school for the long-awaited performance of Mr. Smith's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As they walked to the auditorium, Mr. Leonhardt tried to strike a conversation with his daughter.

"Are you nervous, Annie?" he asked and she shook her head. "Did you practice your lines before we left?" She nodded. "What part are you playing again?"

Annie sighed. "The fairy queen, Dad."

Mr. Leonhardt chuckled lowly. "Of all things to be, you chose a fairy?"

Annie huffed quietly, growing more annoyed at his remarks. "Mr. Smith told me I had to be a fairy, Dad. It's not like I begged him."

Mr. Leonhardt nodded. "In all fairness, though, you do look pretty. Just like your mother." Annie felt her face burn. Comments like this were not common in the Leonhardt household. Perhaps he was putting on a mask, as they were in public. But either way, the softness in his voice proved that perhaps, for once, he was proud of her as well. Annie thanked him quietly.

Once they reached the auditorium, Mr. Leonhardt wished Annie luck as she dashed off to go backstage and he joined the other murmuring parents, grandparents, and guardians filing into the sitting area.

Mr. Smith beamed when he saw Annie, and she quickly noted that she was one of the last performers to arrive. He gestured for the class to draw close as he delivered a motivational lecture. "Now I know we've practiced this play for a very long time," he began, "and I honestly didn't think we'd ever get to perform for your families, but you all pulled yourselves together wonderfully. Remember, if you forget your lines, I'll be sitting in the front row. Just look at me and I'll mouth them. And Reiner...No improvising." Reiner rolled his eyes and agreed begrudgingly.

"Marco and Mina, you're up first. Remember to smile and put on your best performance. And please, for the love of all that's holy and good in this world, _refrain_ from pulling pranks on your classmates." Though he didn't verbally target anyone, everyone knew of the infamous pair Mr. Smith was directing this comment towards. "Everyone get to your places. After I finish addressing your parents, we'll start. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir," the class responded dully and Mr. Smith clapped. "Alright! Good luck you guys! Make me proud!" Mr. Smith strode out into the hallway and moved towards the auditorium stage. As he did so, Annie joined the other classmates who were not supposed to be on stage behind a massive backdrop that had been crudely painted by them weeks earlier.

After introducing the play and subtly reminding the parents to not expect too much, Mr. Smith left the stage and hit a button on a sound-system, igniting a delicate tune that signaled Marco and Mina's arrival on stage, portraying the engaged couple: Theseus and Hippolyta.

"Now beautiful Hippolyta," Marco called out, "our nuptial hour has come, four happy days bring in another moon...but, O, how slow they pass!"

Mina, who was most likely bursting with excitement to be acting alongside her crush, declared, "Four days will quickly steep themselves in night. Four nights will quickly _dream_ away the time; and then, the moon shall witness the night of our wedding! I captured you in my war with the Amazons, and won your love doing you injuries, but I will marry you in another country with pomp, with triumph, and great festivity."

The play continued near-flawlessly. Though some students entered the stage a little later than desired and the acting wasn't necessarily award-winning, Annie could almost feel their teacher's growing satisfaction rising from within the audience.

When her scene arrived, she picked up a prop-baby Mina had supplied and, like Mr. Smith had instructed her, gracefully strutted onto the stage, followed by the classmates acting as her fairies and Bertholdt, attempting to look as tough as his character, Oberon.

"You!" Bertholdt called, pointing an accusatory finger at Annie. "Proud Titania! This is a bad meeting on such a beautiful night!"

Annie sighed, clutching the fake baby closer and turning her body away from the "fairy king". "What? Is it you, Jealous Oberon?" She waved her fairies off. "Fairies...Run away quickly! I do not want to stay with Oberon."

Bertholdt stepped forward, somewhat aggressively, clearly overacting like many of their classmates had done. Annie tried not to smile at his "tough-guy" act. "Wait, you undisciplined and stubborn creature! Am I not your lord?"

Annie shrugged him off. "Then I must be your lady, but I know that when you went away from fairyland you…" Annie hesitated, trying to remember the next part of her line. She gulped nervously and shot a glance towards her teacher.

"Versing love," Mr. Smith mouthed anxiously.

Annie took a deep breath, the sudden realization of failing before the semi-crowded auditorium permeating her mind. "You...You were versing love to Histor-Hippolyta!" She turned towards Bertholdt, aware of her cheeks flaring with the embarrassment. "W-why did you come back?"

Bertholdt offered her a small smile, but that didn't do much to calm her rising anxieties. The only thought coming to mind was how disappointed her father must have been, especially after she had promised that she had practiced her lines. She couldn't find his face in the crowd but only imagined him shaking his head slowly like he had always done.

"Why are you quarreling with me?" Bertholdt continued. "I am only asking you to give me your little boy to be my faithful servant." The audience erupted into low chuckles. Bertholdt smiled nervously and continued to give Annie an encouraging look.

"S-set your heart at rest. Don't a-ask me for him anymore! All your fairy money won't buy this child from me. H-his mother is dead. She was one of my favorite friends and for her sake, I bring her boy and I shall not part with him! F-fairies! Away! We shall get angry if we stay!" Annie walked off the stage, tailed by the giggling girls and Mikasa portraying her fairies. As soon as she was hidden in the darkness Annie retreated to a corner to calm herself. Bertholdt proudly continued his monologue on stage, joined by Connie playing the role of Puck. Together they plotted the kidnapping of Titania's child, but Annie paid no attention to the events of the play. Breathing in slowly and retrieving one of the scripts Mr. Smith kept backstage, Annie quietly studied her lines. It wasn't long, however, before she was joined by another being, dressed in over-sized overalls with a toy-toolbelt around his waist and sporting a bruised nose.

"Are you okay?" Armin asked softly. Annie jumped at his sudden intrusion, but quickly grit her teeth and nodded. He sat beside her, causing her to become even tenser. "It's okay to mess up your lines," he said with a small smile. "You did really well out there."

"Thanks," Annie muttered and scanned the area quickly, hoping Mikasa or Eren weren't witnessing this interaction.

The two fell silent and Armin shifted, removing something from his toolbelt. It was a smooth, tiny pebble, flecked with greys and blacks. A thick streak of white circled around it and Armin presented it towards her. "My grandpa gave me this before we came here tonight. He said it was a lucky pebble and that as long as I had it with me, I wouldn't be scared to perform." Seeing as she wouldn't accept the gift, he placed it on her lap. "You can have it. I know it'll make you feel better."

A commotion arose from the stage as the scene began shifting. Armin stood up quickly and straightened his toolbelt. "I gotta go."

Before she could give him back his offering, he was gone. Annie took the rock within her grasp and analyzed it, feeling a small smile spread across her lips.

 _He's so kind_ , she noted mentally. _Even after everything I've done to him._ She clutched the pebble and found a small pocket on her dress to store it.

Slowly she rose from her corner and crept towards the stage, peering out at Armin's performance. Though he stumbled over a few of his lines, she had never seen him act so confidently before. Even in their private classroom performances, he was wracked with anxiety. Seeing him improve so drastically made her feel much better about her own lackluster performance and she resolved to make a glorious comeback. Just for him.

Upon the arrival of her final scene, Annie delivered a far better performance, much to Mr. Smith's delight. As the play drew to a close and the kids filed on stage for their ovation, Annie couldn't help but steal glances at Armin, mentally thanking the boy profusely for granting her the courage to improve her performance.

After the play concluded, refreshments were served in the cafeteria. Annie found her father sitting at a lone table, holding a cup of water in his hand and his phone in the other. When he saw her approaching, he stood and offered her the cup. "Good job, Annie."

She took the cup from his hands and took a sip of the water. "Thank you," she said quietly. He gently patted her shoulder and looked around the cafeteria.

"Why don't we head home right now? You didn't want to talk to any of your friends, right?"

Annie sighed, before downing the rest of the water and throwing the cup away. "I guess not," she responded. He started leading her towards the door when she caught sight of Armin in an embrace with his grandfather. She stopped quickly and reached into the pocket where the precious stone rested. "Hold on," she told her father and broke from his hold to approach the boy. "Armin!"

Armin separated from his grandfather's hug. He smiled as she approached. "Hey, Annie!"

Mr. Arlert gave Annie a kind smile and gripped Armin's shoulders. "You did a lovely job up there, Dear."

Annie thanked him, bowing her head slightly before presenting the stone to Armin. "I thought you might want this back," she informed. Armin studied the pebble and then shook his head, gently pushing her hand back.

"You can keep it," he said.

"You gave her your lucky stone?" Mr. Arlert queried and Armin nodded enthusiastically. She thought his grandfather would get upset at him for so willingly giving away the gift he had presented his grandson, but rather, he chuckled and squeezed Armin's shoulders. "You must really like her, huh?"

Armin's face flared pink and he looked at his grandfather desperately. "Grandpa!" Annie, too, felt her face begin to glow and turned away. The old man began to chuckle as Annie said her goodbyes and ran to her father.

On the car ride home, Mr. Leonhardt fell into a heated debate with a colleague over the phone and Annie pressed her face against the cool window, her eyes tracing the rushing sight before her. City streetlights illuminated the rain-slickened road, neon signs glared at her, the brightest stars in the sky flickered, and the crescent moon followed her.

The weight of the pebble tucked within her pocket became greater and every time she reflected on Mr. Arlert's statement of Armin liking Annie, she felt embarrassed all over again. Was it true? Did Armin really like Annie enough to give her his lucky pebble?

What scared Annie most, however, was the desire within her own heart that wished for Armin's affection. Was what Reiner had been saying all these years true? Did she love Armin?

She shook her head vigorously. _Of course not! I could never love Armin. It's just a crush and it will pass. It always does._

Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and diverted her attention to the jerky movements of the car and silenced her thoughts by tuning into the soft jazz music playing through the speakers.

It _was_ just a crush...Right?

* * *

 **A/N:** **Fun fact: This chapter was inspired by my own sixth-grade experience, where we reenacted A Midsummer Night's Dream. I wasn't anyone like Titania or Hermia, but I did get to play a narrator with quite a few lines! I thought it would be fun to incorporate this experience into a chapter, so here we are!**

 **Thank you for reading and for the kind comments left on the last chapter! They really mean so much to me and have definitely helped me move forward in the story!**

 **I'll try to post the next chapter sometime next week, so keep an eye out for it!**

 **Thanks again for reading and if you like the story, why not leave a review? I really appreciate them!**


	3. Chapter Three: Maybe Part 1

**Before I begin I just want to thank my lovely friend Ghazi for helping me out so much with this story. He's been feeding me ideas and has been kind enough to assist me in revising this chapter before I published it!**

 **Also, Ghazi had a huge part in helping me come up with the rest of the story and I am so excited to share it with you all!**

 **Thank you, and enjoy! :D**

* * *

 **Six Years Later...**

Annie didn't even know why she had agreed to go to Prom anyway.

As Mina unintentionally pulled Annie's hair and Historia attempted applying a light layer of makeup to the blonde's bare face, Annie huffed internally. When Mina had approached her during lunch about the school event, bubbling with excitement over having received an elaborate prom-posal from Marco Bodt, she was shocked to learn that Annie had no intention of going.

"But what about Bertholdt? Didn't you say you'd go with him?" Mina had asked and Annie shook her head.

"I told him I'd rather stick a fork in an electrical socket than spend my evening surrounded by people I don't even care for," Annie clarified. "Despite that, he still insisted on taking me." Annie sighed, shaking her head. "He's persistent, I'll give him that." Mina's eyes sparked with excitement and before she could enthuse about Annie's potential date, the smaller blonde held up her hand. "But I never said I would go with him."

Mina's ecstatic composure collapsed. "Annie, it's your senior prom!" she sighed dramatically. "If you don't go now, you'll never get to go again!"

"Plenty of students don't go to their high school prom, Mina," Annie responded shortly. She shook her head. "I have better things to do anyway." Annie started to pull herself away from the conversation, making her way to her next class, but the raven-haired girl stopped her.

"We both know you're just going to spend your evening in the gym, Annie," Mina supplied quickly. Annie stopped and sighed heavily. "You gotta live a little! Look, you know how you said you wanted to get me a graduation present?"

"I know where this is going and the answer is no," Annie grumbled. "I'm going to be late for class." As she walked forward, Mina grabbed onto her jacket sleeve. Annie, more frustrated than before, huffed angrily and turned to her friend.

"Just consider it," Mina said quietly. "You never get to be a regular teenager; you're either training for some Martial Arts tournament or studying. Just take one night out of your busy schedule and come have fun with us. I know you won't regret it."

Annie chewed at her lower lip before sighing heavily and pulling her hand away. "Fine. I'll go. But I'm not asking anyone or accepting any prom-posals."

Mina squealed and pulled Annie into a hug. Though the sudden physical contact surprised her, Annie broke into a small smile at her friend's expense.

And here she was, a few weeks later, sitting upon a stool in her kitchen, dressed in a sleek, golden dress that wrapped around her body, flaring at the bottom and exposing a pearl-white piece of fabric. Historia stepped away from Annie, admiring her craftsmanship while Mina added the final pins and shower of hairspray. Mina joined Historia in front of Annie and brought her hands to her face, containing her excitement.

"You look so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"I don't feel beautiful," Annie muttered under her breath, shifting uncomfortably on the stool.

Mina sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Annie! You need to be more confident! You look incredible! I'd be surprised if you left the dance without a few phone numbers."

Historia nodded eagerly and motioned for Annie to stand. She did so and performed the obligatory twirl to show off her appearance. The two girls before her chatted eagerly amongst themselves, occasionally reaching over to fix an unwanted crease in the satin dress or to brush some hair away from her face. A frown, however, soon spread across Historia's face. Mina noticed the shift in approval and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Historia shook her head.

"Something's missing," she stated firmly. She gestured towards Annie and brought her fingers to her lips, deep in thought. Annie didn't know why she was so concerned with the outcome of their work. She felt like they had done everything to violate the sanctity that was her casual sweatshirt and skinny jeans, and now they wanted to do more? They were impossible.

"We could fill in her eyebrows some more," Mina suggested and Historia shook her head. "What about some jewelry?"

Historia snapped her fingers and nodded. "That's it! Annie, do you have a necklace or something?"

Annie nodded slowly. "I have my mom's old locket."

"What color?" Mina queried.

"It's silver-plated," Annie responded shortly. Historia nodded and waved Annie off.

"Go get it! We'll wait down here! And hurry, Bertholdt, Reiner, Ymir and Marco will be here any minute!"

Annie held back a sigh and slowly retreated to her room, quickly moving up the flight of stairs connecting her kitchen and the second floor to her home. Her room, securely locked and tucked away from the rest of the house, resided at the end of a long hallway. Retrieving a key from behind a potted plant that sat beside her door, Annie stepped in and quietly shut it. She sighed heavily and looked around her room.

Across her bed sat an old, wooden dresser. She slowly made her way towards it and pulled open the top drawer. Digging through a pile of socks and underclothing, Annie grasped a wooden box. She removed it from its hiding place and opened it. Though her father had provided her with copious amounts of jewelry from around the world, ranging from moderately to jaw-dropping expensive, the jewelry Annie valued most was tucked within this tiny, unassuming box.

She pulled her mother's locket from a cluster of old earrings and additional necklaces. She moved to the closest mirror and slowly clasped it on, standing to admire its beauty.

She didn't know why she had kept the locket all of these years. She had no admiration for her mother nor did she lament her leaving. But something, whether it was the creeping sense of nostalgia or her own secret desires for wanting a loving mother, kept her from throwing the necklace away.

She shook her head, releasing herself from her train of thought. Quickly, she began to close the box and replace it within its resting place when something caught her eye. Speckled with greys and blacks with a striking stripe that stretched across its circumference, nestled within a bundle of socks, was the stone.

Armin's stone.

Annie felt her breath hitch suddenly.

 _Is he going to be there tonight_ , she wondered and reached for the stone, running her thumb along its smooth surface and allowing the memories of when she first received it to flood into her mind. _Did he ask anyone? I hope not...Dammit, why am I thinking like this?_ She clenched the stone within her grasp and let out a shaky sigh. _If Armin wanted to date someone, that's his choice. Not mine. Besides, it's not like I'm in_ love _with him. We're not even close friends._

"Annie!" Historia called from the foot of the stairs. "What's taking you so long? Ymir just texted me; they're going to be here in five minutes!"

Annie shook her head once more. "I'll be right out!" She quickly stuffed the stone in her drawer, pushing it towards the back, and shutting the drawer. _It's just a stone. I shouldn't care too much about it._

Hurriedly, Annie exited her room and started making her way down the staircase to her friends but stopped suddenly, Mina's earlier outburst ringing in her ears. _You need to be more confident_. Something flashed within her mind: a distant memory. The sweet boy sitting beside her with his outstretched palm, presenting the precious stone to her shaking form. _It's a lucky pebble,_ he had told her so eagerly. _As long as I had it with me, I wouldn't be scared._ Annie clenched her fist and looked back towards the hallway leading towards her room, imagining the stone tucked away. She took a deep breath, ignoring her friends' confused glances and rushed back to her room.

She pushed open her door and approached the dresser, anxiously digging through the drawer until unearthing the pebble and holding it within her grasp. She examined it once more before clutching it tightly and exiting her room once more, heeding to the calls of her impatient friends.

"Sorry," Annie said as she made her way down the stairs for the second time. "I forgot something."

Historia nodded, approaching her with a silver clutch in hand and offering it to her. "You look great, Annie."

Annie allowed herself to smile as she took the clutch, then nodded towards her friends. "You two look beautiful too." Stealthily, she dropped the stone within the slim handbag and heaved a sigh. It was incredible how relaxed she felt. _Even after all of these years_ , she thought, _his lucky pebble still works._

As they waited by the front door, Mr. Leonhardt made his way down the staircase, having just emerged from his office. He offered a tired smile towards the girls. Though he was known for being quite hard on Annie, Mr. Leonhardt had softened throughout the years. While this didn't mend the years of yelling and disciplining Annie beyond what the average parent would consider normal and sane, Annie felt more at ease with her father.

"You girls look nice," he complimented quietly. "I would offer to take pictures when your dates arrive, but I have a conference call in a few minutes and just came down to wish you all a good night."

"Thank you, Mr. Leonhardt!" Mina said cheerfully and Historia nodded.

"Annie," he continued, "don't stay out too late, okay?"

Annie nodded slowly. "I won't."

He smiled once more, but his eyes soon fell upon the locket clasped around Annie's neck. His smile slowly faded and he gave her a curious look. "That locket..."

Annie placed her hand over the jewelry and lowered her gaze. "I thought it would look nice with my dress."

He analyzed her expression for a moment before nodding. "You made a good choice. If only your mother could see you now."

 _It wouldn't have made her stay_ , Annie thought bitterly but kept her frustrated remarks to herself. While she had come to terms with her mother abandoning her and her father, Mr. Leonhardt was far from acceptance. He was understandably heartbroken when the love of his life left shortly after Annie was born and he still continued to hope that one day, she'd see the error of her ways and return. But Annie knew she never would.

Mr. Leonhardt awkwardly cleared his throat. "I've got to get back to my office, but I hope you girls have fun tonight." Annie and her friends waved her father goodbye and shortly after his departure, a truck honked from outside. Historia grinned and threw open the door.

"Hey pretty ladies!" Reiner called, leaning over Bertholdt to peer out the passenger window. "Did someone call for a carriage ride to the ball?"

Annie smirked. "Hardly much of a carriage, is it?" She gestured towards Reiner's beat-up truck: his pride and joy. Reiner frowned and rolled his eyes.

Bertholdt smiled towards Annie, his eyes locked upon her appearance. As she got closer he blushed. "Y-you look really pretty, Annie," he said and Mina wrapped her arms around Annie.

"Doesn't she!"

"She's not the only one!" Ymir called from the backseat, leaning over a tense Marco to peer out the window. "Historia! Promise me you'll marry me once this dance is over!"

Historia giggled and Marco stepped out of the back to hold the door open for the girls. Bertholdt did the same, offering Annie the middle seat in the front. As the girls piled into the car, the compliments continued to flood in. Marco gushed over how beautiful Mina looked, Ymir went straight to covering Historia with kisses, Reiner made some stupid comment about Annie looking like a girl for once, and Bertholdt, though appearing slightly flustered, reprimanded Reiner for his inappropriate comment.

During their drive, casual conversations began to fill the cramped space.

"So who else is going to be there tonight?" Historia asked, now pressed up against Ymir, who flashed a smirk towards Reiner in the rear-view mirror. He rolled his eyes in response. It was quite obvious that the two were desperately in love with the same woman and Ymir did everything in her power to boast her victory of winning Historia's heart.

"Jean is going," Marco informed. "I think he asked out Mikasa but she told him she wanted to go stag. So I think they're going stag together."

"So...A date," Mina concluded and Marco chuckled.

"He refused to call it that, but yeah...A date!"

"I think Sasha and Connie said they were going to go," Bertholdt added.

"I thought Principal Dawke banned them from attending school dances," Reiner asked. "You know, after the Sadies Incident."

Annie smiled at the memory of the two friends up to their antics, causing mayhem and panic at pretty much any school event. The Sadies Incident, however, was by far their most brutal of attacks. Since the school's budget couldn't accommodate securing a venue for the Sadies dance, Principal Dawke held the event in the school's commons area. Connie and Sasha, upset with the lack of catering, decided to recruit some furry creatures from Sasha's uncle's petting zoo and let them loose within the commons. They also managed to sneak into the principal's office and leave a goat to greet their school official the following morning. Needless to say, the two were suspended and prohibited from ever attending another school function.

But that certainly wouldn't stop them from finding some way to sneak into Prom.

"What about Eren?" Mina continued. Marco shook his head.

"He had to work tonight."

Annie bit her lower lip, consumed in a nagging thought that eventually pried its way out of her mouth. "What about Armin?"

The car fell silent and she received a few odd looks before Reiner shook his head solemnly. "I don't think he'll be there tonight and if he is, I'd be pretty surprised."

Annie was confused by this response before the events clicked in her mind and everything she had felt towards the boy earlier in the evening sparked a sense of guilt.

 _Of course, he won't be there_ , Annie thought sadly. _His grandfather died just a few days ago._

How could she have forgotten? She was, after all, in the same class as he was when an administrator burst in and whisked the Arlert boy to the main office. The following morning, word had soon spread that Abraham Arlert, Armin's caretaker since he was three years old, had died suddenly. Though the Jaegers were quick to take the boy into their home, there was no doubt Armin was still upset and wouldn't be showing his face anytime soon.

"Speaking of Armin," Historia said, "maybe we should all drop by after the dance and see how he's doing."

Ymir shrugged. "I don't know, Sweetie. Maybe it's best if we give him some space."

"He's got Eren and Mikasa," Reiner assured. "As much as I admire the little dork, bothering him during this time is probably not the best idea. Sorry, Historia."

Annie didn't contribute to the conversation. Instead, she looked down at her clasped hands and thought about the grieving blond boy. He was probably pressed up against a window looking outside, connecting the stars and wondering if his grandfather was still watching over him.

During their biology class together, Armin talked frequently about wanting to go to the jungles of South America with his grandfather and explore the villages his parents frequented on their humanitarian expeditions. Armin longed to get away from the city and spend months surrounded by the purest form of nature. Annie listened intently, entranced by his plans. Knowing that Armin wouldn't get his trip, Annie felt a deeper remorse blossom within her soul.

She felt a nudge at her bicep and looked towards Bertholdt. He offered her a gentle smile. "Are you okay? You kind of drifted off there for a second."

Annie nodded slowly. "Yeah. It just…" She sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm fine." For the remainder of the car ride, Annie gently ran her finger along her clutch, visualizing the pebble within and hoping that Armin was having an okay night.

...

The teens soon pulled up to a massive park, speckled with eager couples dancing to the soft thumping music. Teachers patrolled the perimeter, granting students access to the festivities within. Reiner parked his truck and the group started piling out.

"We'll see you losers later," Ymir called, wrapping her arm around Historia.

Reiner frowned. "You're already breaking away from the group?"

Ymir smirked and kept striding forward, leaving Historia to rotate towards her friends and wave.

"I think I see Jean," Marco said quickly. He offered his arm to Mina and nodded towards Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie. "We'll catch up with you guys later!" And they two departed from the trio. Reiner shrugged and wrapped his arm around Annie's shoulder, eliciting a small growl from the blonde.

"Ah well," he sighed, "guess it's just the three of us. Wanna raid the snack table?"

Annie sighed and shook her head. "No thanks." She shrugged off Reiner's arm and stepped forward. "I'm going to go read underneath the pavilion."

Bertholdt reached out to interject, but Reiner stopped him. "Alright Berty, guess it's just you and me. We'll check up on you later, Annie. Try not to get in any trouble!" The two boys moved towards the collection of food while Annie stepped past her teachers and made her way to the pavilion overlooking the vast field, slowly swelling with teenagers who had nothing better to do on a Saturday night.

Ignoring the bustle, Annie pulled up a book on her phone and attempted to get lost in the fictional world. Few students resided in the pavilion with her, often sitting down for a moment to snack or to massage their aching feet. Annie didn't care about them, though. All she wanted to do was pretend to have fun for Mina's sake and then get home and wipe all of the makeup off and wear something far more comfortable.

About thirty minutes after her arrival, someone sat beside her, undoubtedly making Annie very uncomfortable. She attempted to ignore their presence the best she could, but it got increasingly difficult when they spoke to her.

"Hey, Annie." She looked up and almost dropped her phone in shock.

"Armin?" Annie asked quickly. The blond genius offered a pained smile in response to her surprised query. "What are you doing here?"

"Not excited to see me?" he asked, joking lightly. Annie stammered a response, but he stopped her. "Dr. Jaeger said I should get out of the house. Besides, I already bought my ticket and suit weeks ago. It would be a shame to let them go to waste."

Annie nodded slowly but felt her heart racing at an unnatural pace. Emotions she rarely felt swelled within her mind: desperation, sorrow, longing. Looking at him only intensified these conflicting emotions of which she was consumed: his pale face underneath the glow of the shimmering moonlight and flashing colored lights from the DJ's table, his sapphire eyes glistening with tears she knew he was trying to hold back, his ruffled hair wrapped around his head like a golden halo. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and urges before stammering a reply. "I-I see. Were you...Um, planning on c-coming here with someone tonight?"

"You mean a date?" Armin asked and she nodded weakly. "No." He sighed and ran his fingers along the steel surface of the table they sat at. "I was going to go stag with Eren but he got work last minute. So here I am." He sighed and smiled once more. "Did you come here alone?"

Annie shook her head. "No. I came here with Bertholdt, Reiner, Ymir, Historia, Marco and Mina," she informed. "But...They all went their own ways."

Armin nodded, biting his lower lip. Before a heavy awkward silence could envelop them further, he gestured to her phone. "What were you reading?"

Annie felt her cheeks burn and she looked down at her phone. "Oh, nothing. It was just this series I've been meaning to catch up on. It's about this enchantressl who has to save her entire village from this corrupt government entity."

" _Destiny's Calling_?" Armin asked and Annie gave him a quizzical look.

"Yeah, how did you…" she began but he interrupted.

"I just finished reading that series a month ago." He tapped his fingers against the table's surface, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It was really good."

Annie frowned. Though the most they've ever talked was during their time in biology together, he seemed a little less excited. Understandably so, but Annie sensed a deeper issue lying beneath the grief.

"I know you're probably tired of hearing this, but…" Annie took a deep breath and placed her hand on top of his, silencing his tapping. "I'm really sorry about what happened with your grandfather. I know you two were really close."

Armin forced a smile and nodded, though she could see the tears begin to form within his eyes. "I appreciate the sympathy," he said quietly.

"Is everything okay at home?" Annie continued. "You know, with the Jaegers?"

He nodded once more. "They're good people. I'm just worried I'm being a burden, you know?"

 _A burden, huh_ , Annie thought to herself. _I know the feeling._

"You're eighteen, though," Annie said softly. "Can't you just...I don't know, live by yourself in your house?"

Armin tensed and shook his head. "They're actually...Uh...tearing my grandfather's house down."

Annie's eyes widened and she leaned forward, trying to capture his gaze. "What? Who's 'they'?"

"Some investor," Armin sighed. He looked up at her, still maintaining that same pained smile he had greeted her with. "It's why I haven't been at school these past few days. I've been trying to clean up the house. They're taking it down on Monday."

"They can't do that!" Annie exclaimed.

Armin shrugged. "My aunt sold the house after she found out my grandfather died. She knew I was probably going to move in with the Jaegers, so it didn't matter." He clenched his fist and let out a shaky sigh. "I just wish I had a chance to save it. I grew up in that house."

"Armin," Annie said softly, unsure of what she could even say. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged. "It's okay. None of this is your fault. I've been crying about it for a couple of days now. I think...Maybe it is time I moved on."

 _No, it's time you fought for yourself._ "Armin...I…" Annie didn't know of any words that could potentially soothe his aching soul. The life he had known was being torn away from him, piece by piece. "There has to be a way…"

Armin let out a soft laugh and shook his head. "Believe me. I've gone over every possible scenario in my head since my aunt told me the news. I've done research on countless situations like my own and...It's just not worth it." He sighed, his smile faltering. "The only possible way I could save my grandfather's house is if I bought it. But there's no way I have enough money for that. And I don't think my grandfather would be too pleased if I dipped into my college savings."

He breathed out heavily and pushed himself up from the table. Annie looked up at him nervously, wondering if he was going to leave her there, perhaps linger among some of their more intriguing classmates. But he surprised her by smiling lightly and stretching his hand out towards her. "I know neither of us really want to be here right now. There's this neat little ice cream parlor not too far from here. I was going to go earlier but then I saw you. Want to join me?"

Annie stared at his hand before locking her eyes with his, giving him a rather quizzical look. An internal battle raged within her: deny his offer and spend the rest of the night alone, or accept and risk creating a stir of speculations among her friends and within her own heart. Ultimately, her sympathy won and she grabbed his hand. _He's been through so much_ , she concluded. _What he needs right now is a friend. Even if his best option at the moment is me._

 _..._

The parlor was a quaint little building tucked between two antique stores. A blinking neon sign welcomed the two into the near-empty shop. Standing at the counter was an older gentleman, gently wiping down the granite surface. Upon Annie and Armin's arrival, he grinned and stood straighter. "Armin," he greeted cheerfully, "it's lovely to see you." His enthusiasm faltered slightly. "I'm terribly sorry to hear about your grandfather."

Armin thanked the man for expressing his sympathies and began placing an order. "I'll have a small scoop of strawberry." He turned to Annie. "What would you like?"

Annie frowned slightly, unsure and slightly overwhelmed by the massive list of options placed before her. _Vanilla looks good...But will he think I'm boring? Should I go with rainbow sherbert, or is that too crazy? Maybe I should get strawberry, or will he...Dammit, I'm acting crazy. It's just ice cream. What he thinks doesn't matter._ "I'll have coconut," she responded quickly and Armin turned back to the man at the counter and relayed the message.

Once they received their ice cream, Armin led Annie outside and they sat at one of the rustic tables by the store front. Cars lazily crept along the street before them, backed by the hazy city lights. Armin was quick to dive into his dessert while Annie hesitated. She kept stealing glances of him, but always returned to looking towards the sky, as if searching for something. Perhaps the stars knew why she was so flustered around Armin, since she herself couldn't quite decipher her own emotions that were swirling in a flurry of uncertainty.

"You know why I went to the dance," Armin began, startling Annie awake from her mental battle. "But why were you there? I recall you mentioning how school dances were 'of the devil' in biology a few weeks ago."

Annie sighed, stirring her ice cream in its foam container. "Mina insisted I come. She told me that I wouldn't regret it."

Armin nodded slowly, before taking another bite of his ice cream. When he swallowed, he spoke once more. "Well do you regret it?"

Annie shrugged. "I guess I don't hate it entirely." She faced him."What about you? Do you regret coming?"

He smiled lightly. "At first, yes. But...I'm glad I found you, Annie." He fell silent for a moment, allowing Annie to internally scream in confused frustration. _Why does he have to be so nice, dammit!_ He started once more. "I know you tend to put on this act where you're really tough and you don't care about other people, but I actually think you're really nice."

Her face flared underneath the city lights and she looked away from Armin, attempting to hide the growing redness in her cheeks. "That's kind of you to say, Armin."

He reached over and placed his hand atop hers. She tensed but made no attempt at moving, but also no attempt at making eye contact. "I mean it. You're a good person, Annie." He pulled away and turned towards the city, finishing his ice cream. Annie, however, couldn't bear to even touch hers, feeling nauseated by the growing pit within her stomach. She stealthily dumped the foam cup's contents in a nearby potted plant and stood up.

"The dance will be over soon," she began, continuing to avoid eye contact. "It's probably best if we go back. My ride will be waiting for me."

Armin stood as well. "Are you sure? Because I can take you home if you'd like. I kind of wanted to show you something else." She gave him an inquiring look and he smiled nervously. "That is, only if you'd like. I don't want to keep you from your friends."

Annie's mind urged her to say no. _We've already done enough together. Do any more and people will start to think I'm in love with him._ But her heart fought against her, providing her with a simple query. _Is being in love with him so bad?_

She shook her head. _Yes. It is. Because I'm NOT in love with Armin Arlert. I have never been and I never will be. End of story._ "I'm sorry, Armin. But…"

He nodded. "It's okay, I understand. Hey, maybe next time the school holds a dance we can skip again."

She didn't want to deny him once more, so she simply nodded wordlessly and they made their way back to the park.

...

Monday morning, Annie skipped school. Instead, creeping beneath the cloudy skies, she made her way to the one place where she knew she'd find him.

Standing in front of his old home, Armin, flanked by Mikasa and Eren, watched intensely as the wrecking-ball from a growling hunk of machinery crashed into the wall. Annie watched from a distance, noticing every hit resulting in Armin becoming more and more distraught. By the time his childhood home was reduced to nothing but a pile of bricks and broken glass, he bowed his head and the trio returned to their house, holding each other close.

Annie stayed, waiting until the demolition team disbanded for lunch. Once the area was clear, she quietly crept onto the site, ducking under the cautionary tape and keeping low to the ground. Glass crunched beneath her shoes and as she walked, dust was kicked into the air. Though the world around her was still very much alive, Annie felt like she was walking through a wasteland. And perhaps she was. There was no happiness in the rubble, only the broken dreams and childhood of a blond genius.

Finally, after combing through shattered bricks and nicking herself on stray pieces of glass, she found what she needed: an intact brick. She removed it from the rubble and dashed off the site, running back to her home.

Once inside, she retreated to her room and sat at her desk, placing the brick on a paper towel she had laid out earlier. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out some pencils and some painting supplies. Then, she went to work.

...

Tuesday afternoon, Annie returned to school, her backpack heavier than normal. Bags painted the pale skin beneath her eyes and her body ached for rest. She had stayed up the entire night finishing her art project and she hoped the recipient of her efforts would show his face today in their biology class.

She sat in her desk, eyeing the door and jumping each time it creaked open. Annie was losing hope with each passing minute of him not being the next one to cross through the doorway. _I'm so stupid, getting my hopes up like this_ , she thought to herself, clenching her fists and lowering herself down onto her desk's surface. Annie closed her eyes and sighed.

The door creaked open one last time before the final bell rang. Ms. Zoe, their biology teacher, let out an excited gasp.

"Armin!" she called. Annie's head leapt off of her desk and she turned towards the entrance.

There he stood, looking just as tired as she felt, offering a weary smile. "Good afternoon, Ms. Zoe."

"It's so good to see you again," Ms. Zoe said cheerfully. "Our classroom was beginning to get a little duller without your bright presence."

Armin laughed nervously and took his seat beside Annie, giving her a small smile. "Hey," he greeted quietly and Annie nodded in his direction, her heart beginning to thump in her chest.

The hour-long wait for class to conclude was agonizing, to say the least. Rather than focusing on the lecture, her mind kept drifting to the extra weight in her backpack. _Is this too forward?_ She wondered. _Will he think I'm being flirtatious? I just wanted to give him something to remind him of home. No, he won't think that. Besides, it's just a gift. Nothing more than that._

The bell chiming brought Annie back into reality. She gulped heavily and turned towards Armin as he was gathering his belongings. "Hey, Armin," she said and he faced her.

"Yeah?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her out-of-character intrusion.

"Can...Can I talk to you outside?" He nodded at this inquiry and when he finished packing up his things, they exited the classroom and made their way to the front exit of the school. She pulled him aside from the bustle of the students eager to return home and brought him to a grassy area underneath a giant oak tree. She set her bag down and began digging through it to retrieve the brick.

"Is everything okay?" Armin asked softly. Annie nodded and stood straight, holding out the piece of hardened clay and shale.

Each of its rough surfaces had been painted over with various nature scenes. One held the vines and leaves of a wild jungle. Another depicted a massive body of water. The next, a beautiful desert scene speckled with cacti and indigenous wildlife. Each face held a part of the world Armin had wanted to see with his grandfather, painted with care by the small and flustered artist before the blond boy.

Armin's eyes widened and he carefully removed the brick from her hands and turned it over, each rotation eliciting a small gasp and a smile.

"After they tore down your grandfather's home," Annie began, "I snuck onto the site and took one of the bricks that were still intact. You told me about all of those places you wanted to see when you left for your senior vacation with your grandfather after graduation. I knew how much the house and these dreams meant to you, and since you were kind enough to buy me ice cream a few nights ago, I thought I'd repay the debt."

It was sudden and unexpected, but Armin approached Annie and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight and pressing the brick against her back. She could feel him tremble ever-so-slightly as he whispered his thanks. When he finally pulled away after what felt like an eternity, Annie saw the tears in his eyes and felt her cheeks redden.

"This is incredible, Annie!" he exclaimed. "I had no idea you could paint this well! You did all of this for me?"

Annie shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, yeah. You're my...Friend."

His eyes soften and so did his smile. "You consider me a friend?" he asked. She nodded shyly and he looked back at the brick. "Wow...Annie, I can't even put into words how grateful I am." He looked back up at her. "Thank you."

Annie felt her face burn with his expression of gratitude. She immediately looked downwards, focusing on her shoes, the grass, the dirt, anything but his eyes. But her curiosity and desires got the best of her. Slowly, they locked eyes and for a moment, it was as if the world around them had vanished, like the flame of a candle flickering out of existence. Her throat burned with a sudden confession and it took the entirety of her willpower to suppress it. She cleared her throat and looked away once more. "Y-you're welcome...A-Armin." She slowly scooped up her backpack and started to walk off, turning to call out, "I'll see you later, okay?"

Armin nodded, raising his hand to wave. "Yeah. Later."

As she walked away, a mixture of excitement and fear swirled around in her head. _He hugged me_ , she thought, smiling to herself. _He liked the gift so much that he hugged me._ She breathed in and let out a heavy sigh. _Don't get too carried away, though. It was nothing more than a hug. That's all. We're just friends. And we'll always be friends. That's just how it works._

But even as she walked home and tried to blare out her thoughts with some loud music, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she didn't want to be _just friends_. Maybe...There was something more to their relationship.

Maybe, in fact, Annie Leonhardt did love Armin Arlert.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave feedback and/or votes/favorites/kudos! I love hearing back from all of you!**

 **I'll try to post again next week, after my midterms!**

 **Have a lovely week!**


	4. Chapter Four: Maybe Part 2

**Special thank you to my lovely friend Ghazi for revising and co-writing this chapter, as well as motivating me when the last thing I wanted to do was write!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Four Months Before Prom…**

" _Dear Annie Leonhardt,_

" _After careful consideration of your portfolio and your application, we regret to inform you that The Sina Institute of the Fine Arts is unable to admit you at this time. This year's application pool was the strongest it's ever been and, while your portfolio displayed impeccable talent and your GPA met our standards, we were unable to admit every worthy applicant._

" _We appreciate you expressing interest in our institution and we encourage you, if you haven't made your final choice about your higher education, to reapply next fall. We look forward to hearing from you again and we wish you the best of luck in your educational endeavors._

" _Sincerely,_

" _President Moblit Berner."_

Annie scanned and rescanned the email several times, each passing word striking another blow to her heart. She breathed out slowly, trying to steady her quivering lip. No. She wouldn't cry. Not here. Not in her history class.

 _It's not like I wanted to go to college anyway,_ Annie thought bitterly, knowing deep within her heart that that was the furthest thing from the truth.

She trashed the email and turned off her phone, resting her head on her desk. Reiner, who sat beside her, leaned over and nudged her. He gave her a questioning look and she shook her head subtly. He frowned and opened his mouth to speak when their teacher, Ms. Brzenska, called him out.

"Mr. Braun," she began, "do you have something to share with the class?"

Reiner hesitated before smirking in her direction. "Just that you're the most wonderful teacher in this entire high school."

The class erupted into soft laughter and Ms. Brzenska narrowed her eyes at his comment before shaking her head. "Quit brown-nosing. And Miss Leonhardt, sit up!" Annie slowly obliged, shooting their teacher a dirty look in the process. Ms. Brzenska muttered something about there only being five more months left before heaving a heavy sigh and returning to their lecture.

As class concluded and Annie began making her way towards Biology, Reiner pulled her aside in the hallway.

"Hey," he said quickly and quietly. "Annie, what's up? You looked really upset back there."

Annie shrugged. "I wasn't upset. I'm tired."

Reiner frowned. "Stop trying to be tough and just tell me. What happened? Did someone text you? Was it Mikasa? Do I need to kick some ass?"

"Unless you want to assault the president of the Sina Institute of Fine Arts, then don't bother."

Reiner's face contorted in confusion before the realization of what had been causing Annie so much heartache struck. "Oh man, Annie…"

Annie shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You know I never wanted to go to college anyway."

Reiner shrugged. "Well, yeah. But you said it yourself. The Sina Institute of Fine Arts wasn't just a college. It was an opportunity for you to live out your dreams. We all know how desperately you wanted to go."

Annie sighed before turning away from Reiner. She ignored his saddened call for her to return, clenching her fist and continuing to bite back the tears.

After situating herself in her biology class, Annie was joined shortly by Armin, beaming excitedly. As he sat down and offered a cheery greeting, Annie felt compelled to pry and discover the source of his happiness.

"What's with the smile?" she asked stoically.

He laughed, the sound piercing Annie's heart. It was so pure, like tinkling bells dancing in an early spring's breeze. _Even his laugh is heavenly,_ Annie thought, her sadness fading momentarily.

"I got my acceptance letter to Fortuna," he said. Annie's eyes widened.

"Fortuna?" she asked, almost in disbelief. Fortuna University was a highly prestigious academy of learning. The acceptance rates were rather low, but the graduates produced were often highly respectable scholars. And as fate would allow it, Fortuna was also several thousand miles away from their hometown, meaning that after graduation, the likelihood of Annie ever seeing Armin again was low. Very low. She swallowed heavily and nodded in his direction. "Congratulations."

"Thank you!" Armin said quickly. "Have you heard back from Sina?"

Annie nodded. "Yeah. Uh...They couldn't accept me. But that's okay. It gives me a year off to continue improving my talents and my chances to get in next year."

Armin frowned slightly, his eyes scanning over her countenance. "I'm so sorry. You seemed really excited to attend there in the fall."

"It's okay," Annie sighed. "It just wasn't meant to be right now." _Nothing ever seems like it was meant to be_ , she thought bitterly.

"I'm sure you'll get in next year!" Armin assured with a shy smile. "You're very smart, Annie! It'd be a shame if they didn't accept you!" She smiled, despite feeling that he only said those things to be nice. Why else would he have expressed how smart he thought she was?

"Yeah," Annie responded, her voice trailing off. "Maybe."

…

 **One Month After Prom…**

The auditorium was filled to the brim with beaming parents and antsy teenagers. Principal Nile Dawke stood at a podium, proclaiming his admiration for the graduating classes and expressing his desires for their successful futures.

Annie sat squished between Bertholdt and Reiner, both sighing and trying to keep themselves occupied by playing with their tassels and shifting uncomfortably. Annie's eyes darted around, analyzing the sea of students amidst her, before settling on the stage, where a certain blond genius sat, a sash wrapping around his shoulders, accompanying a golden cord that signified his high standing intellectual-wise. Armin looked so proud and powerful on that stage. To think that several years prior to this moment, he was nothing but a cowering child being beaten for his harmless interests.

Annie hoped wherever Kent and his cronies were now, they knew of Armin's achievements and that their tormenting never worked. Armin survived. And she would too. Even if it tore up her heart.

Principal Dawke closed his statements by addressing Armin's status as valedictorian, gesturing for him to take his place at the podium and deliver his speech. Armin stood and approached, grasping their principal's hand and shaking it firmly, before stepping before the podium. He took a deep and steady breath.

"Before I get into the formalities of this speech," Armin began with a shy smile. "I want to thank the staff and faculty of Reconnaissance High School. I have never before interacted with such a dedicated group of adults, focused entirely on the success of their students. It has been an honor to partake in many of your classes. I'd also like to thank the Jaeger's. As many of you know, my grandfather, Abraham Arlert, passed away last month. He was my primary caretaker for most of my life, and when he died, it was the Jaegers who immediately swept in and allowed me to live with them. Without their kindness and hospitality, I don't think I would have had the courage to continue and stand where I am today.

"As we celebrate several years of academic achievements, I wish to remind you all of what truly matters. While maintaining a good GPA and receiving the best test scores are important, they're temporary. What matters most is the goodness in all of your hearts and what you choose to do with it. Some will hide it away, ashamed of appearing soft-hearted. Others will give away some, but never reap the full rewards of living a life dedicated to the betterment of other lives. Then there are those who share everything they've got. This is what we should all do.

"I also wish to remind you that while this may be the last time many of us see each other again, it's imperative to remember those who touched your lives. Even as I depart this fall to attend Fortuna University thousands of miles away, I will never forget the kind things you all have done to me and to others. And as I venture off into a new land, I will try to spread that kindness. I urge you all to do the same.

"I don't want to drag this out any longer than it should be. We're all excited to get our diplomas and be done with this chapter of our lives. So I'll leave you with one last note: never miss out on an opportunity to love."

Annie's heart fluttered for a moment, consumed by fear that he was potentially directing this comment towards her, despite how ridiculous that may have been.

"I did once," Armin began slowly, "and I regret it every day. But I know I'll never do that again. And I urge you all to avoid my mistake.

"Congratulations and good luck!"

Armin's speech moved most of the audience to pounce upon their feet, clapping excitedly. He flashed another timid smile before retreating back to his seat. Principal Dawke returned to the podium, motioning for everyone to silence themselves.

"He sure knows a way with words, huh?" Bertholdt asked Annie quietly and she nodded.

"It's Armin," she said softly, "what did you expect?"

…

The warm sunlight welcomed the graduates as they burst forth from the auditorium and out to their waiting family members. Annie immediately sought out her father, who was locked in a casual conversation with Ms. Hoover. When she caught sight of Annie, Ms. Hoover marched forward and pulled her into a hug. Bertholdt and Reiner soon followed, combining to form a massive horde of affection, filled with congratulations and thank yous.

As they disbanded, Ms. Hoover sighed happily. "I'm so proud of you three!" she exclaimed and Mr. Leonhardt nodded firmly, gently patting the backs of Annie's friends. "Reiner, your mother and father would have been so happy to see you today."

Reiner smirked, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm sure they got a kick out of me using a joy buzzer on Dawke." Ms. Hoover giggled in response, pulling Reiner into another hug. The single mother with a heart of pure gold had adopted Reiner shortly after his parents were killed in a tragic car accident in the eighth grade. And knowing Reiner's parents, Annie knew that if they were watching the ceremony from a "better place", then they were probably cackling with joy when Principal Dawke yelped after being zapped by Reiner.

The four continued to talk and Annie's attention began drifting elsewhere, settling upon Armin as he broke away from Carla Jaeger's tight embrace. Grisha Jaeger squeezed his shoulder, probably applauding him for his beautiful speech and both Mikasa and Eren, standing beside their parents, nodded eagerly. Annie frowned momentarily before turning to her father, holding out her diploma. "Can you hold this?" she asked quickly. Mr. Leonhardt gave her a quizzical look but slowly took the small binder. Annie thanked him quickly and moved towards Armin and his family.

"Arlert," she called suddenly. The boy startled from his current interactions and glanced in her direction. A calm smile spread across his lips and he approached her, asking his family to excuse him.

As he strode closer, Annie felt her face redden. He was so charming, like a sunflower stretching in the early summer warmth. Everything about him, the way his eyes sparkled when he first saw her to his arms wrapping around her in a friendly hug, made her feel at ease. And also sorrowful. Because she knew, deep in her heart, that this would possibly be her last interaction with the boy. He would be departing for Fortuna within a matter of weeks to get an early start on adapting to his new life. A life without Annie.

"You did really well with your speech," Annie commented as they broke from their hug. She offered him a shy smile and he grinned back.

"Thank you so much, Annie," he said. He gestured towards her appearance. "And you look really beautiful today."

"You do too," Annie blurted and then shook her head. "Handsome, I mean. Not beautiful…" She unleashed a nervous chuckle and Armin laughed.

"Have you decided what you're going to do this summer?" he asked and she shrugged casually.

"My father and I are probably going to go to Paris for a month or so to visit family," she said quietly and Armin's expression brightened.

"Paris is so beautiful! You'll promise to send me pictures, right?" he asked, his voice light and cheerful.

Annie shifted and shrugged once more. "I would if I had your contact information."

Armin raised an eyebrow. "I've never given you my number?" he asked and Annie shook her head slowly, suddenly realizing what she had done and what he was about to do. He dug into his pockets and pulled out a small notebook and a pen. Annie gave him a questioning look and he chuckled. "You never know when inspiration is going to hit," he said with a playful wink. He scribbled a series of numbers on one of the blank sheets and tore it from the notebook, handing it to her. "There. Now we'll stay in contact!"

Annie hesitantly removed the paper from his grasp and read the number to herself. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Thank you."

Armin smiled down at her, momentarily glancing upwards and laughing. "I would ask you if you wanted to come to dinner with us, but it looks like you've already got a posse waiting for you." He gestured past her and to her bumbling group of friends.

Reiner made kissy faces towards Annie and dramatically flopped into Bertholdt's arms, causing the much taller gentleman to stumble backward, knocking into his mother. Ms. Hoover let out a howl of laughter and Mr. Leonhardt shook his head, displaying a similar emotion of disappointment and embarrassment that Annie was feeling.

"Idiots," she muttered and turned back to Armin. "I'm sorry about them."

Armin laughed. "No, it's fine. They're quite...Charming, aren't they."

Annie sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. "You don't know the half of it."

The Jaegers soon joined them, Grisha firmly gripping Armin's shoulder and nodding towards Annie. "I hate to break up this reunion but our reservation is in thirty minutes and we still have quite a ways to drive," he said.

"Right," Armin said, nodding towards Dr. Jaeger and turning back to Annie. "Hey, I'll see you soon, alright?"

Annie lifted her hand to wave as the Jaegers and Armin began making their way to the parking lot. Then, something struck her mind: a final plan to spend one last evening with Armin. "Uh, hey, when are you leaving to visit Fortuna?" she asked suddenly. Armin stopped and faced her. "We're leaving on Sunday, why?"

Annie nodded slowly. "I'll text you," she said quickly. "Goodbye Armin. And it was nice to meet you all."

The Jaegers departed and Annie returned to her own family. Before they could question her interaction with Armin, she reared her fist and slammed it against Reiner's bicep. He yelped in pain and Mr. Leonhardt covered his mouth to prevent a laugh from escaping.

"You're an asshole," Annie growled and Reiner frowned, running his hand along his throbbing arm.

"What did I do?" he exclaimed. Annie rolled her eyes at his sudden cluelessness.

"You know very well what you did," Annie muttered darkly.

Ms. Hoover unleashed another laugh before grasping Reiner's shoulders. "Alright, alright. Before you two tear each other apart, we should probably head out."

Mr. Leonhardt nodded. "I just got a text from Mayor Reiss," he informed. "He said our reservation time has been changed. If we want to make it on time, I suggest we leave now."

"Fine," Reiner grumbled, gently shrugging Ms. Hoover's hold off of him, "but I call shotgun." He darted towards the parking lot and Bertholdt frowned.

"But Reiner! You had it on the way up here!" he followed behind his friend and Ms. Hoover sighed heavily turning to Annie.

"At least we have one graduate who's acting her age," she said and Annie shrugged before kicking off her shoes and picking them up.

"Not if I beat you to it, Braun!" she called and fell in pursuit of her friends, causing Ms. Hoover to groan and Mr. Leonhardt to chuckle softly.

…

Annie stood outside of the Jaeger house, anxiously checking her phone and the front door. She was sure Mrs. Jaeger must have seen her waiting and desperately hoped Armin would pick up the pace before she was confronted and asked to come inside for dinner. She opened her messenger app and scrolled through their earlier texts that led to this late night meeting.

 _ **Thursday 9:38 PM**_

 _Annie: Hey, remember when we skipped out on prom? You said you wanted to show me something and I told you I had to get back to the dance? Well, I'm ready to see, if you still want to show me that is._

 _Armin: Really? :D Okay! I've still got some packing to do, but I have time Saturday night. Come to the Jaeger's house around 8:30. I'm so excited! :)_

 _Annie: Sounds like a plan._

 _ **Saturday 8:25 PM**_

 _Annie: I'm here a little early, I hope that's okay._

 _Armin: Not a problem! I'm just finishing up dinner. You're more than welcome to join us! Dr. Jaeger got caught up at his office and there's an extra plate._

 _Annie: I had dinner with my father earlier, so I'm good. I'll just wait out here. No problem._

 _Armin: You sure?_

 _Annie: Yes._

 _Armin: Okay. :) Give me five more minutes. I still have to grab something before we go._

Annie glanced up at her phone's clock and heaved a frustrated sigh. He wrote that ten minutes ago. She glanced back towards the house and noticed the blinds shut quickly. Probably Mrs. Jaeger checking on her once more. Or perhaps Mikasa trying to figure out what Annie could have possibly wanted with their friend.

The front door opened, spilling light onto the porch that was quickly shadowed by Armin stepping over the threshold. He turned back to assure Mrs. Jaeger that he'd be back soon and not to wait up for him. He shut the door and bounded towards Annie, smiling widely and cradling a heavy box.

"Hey Annie," he greeted cheerfully. "You ready to go?"

Annie nodded and he directed her towards his car. Lightly straining with the box in his arms, he struggled to open Annie's door, refusing her offer to help. After she sat in the passenger he gently handed her the box. "Can you hold this? My telescope is in there and I'm afraid if I put it in the back, it'll move around too much and break."

"Sure," Annie said and smiled as he shut her door. _A telescope, huh? So that's what he wanted to do: show me the stars. Armin really is something special._

With a quiet jazz melody drifting in the background, the two graduates slowly left the city and traveled to a more secluded area of Trost. Farmlands stretched for miles, accompanying the barren road. Above them, stars began twinkling weakly in the darkening sky. Annie peered out of the car window, enjoying the calm silence between the two.

"You know," Armin began, his voice no louder than the humming of his car's engine. "I was surprised when you actually texted me about wanting to come here. What finally convinced you?"

Annie swallowed heavily and took her eyes off the stars and moved them back into the interior of Armin's pristine car. "I kept thinking about it after the dance," she replied honestly, running her fingers along the box's edges. "And I figured since you were leaving to Fortuna and we're all going to be going our own ways...Now's a better time than any."

Armin nodded. "I see." He anxiously tapped the steering wheel. "That's so weird to think about...How I'll probably never see you again after tonight."

Annie blushed and turned back towards the window, though this time she couldn't bring herself to admire the countryside before her. "Yeah. So weird."

"Funny how you can know someone for pretty much your whole life," Armin continued, "and then suddenly it's over. You part ways and...Well, you know."

"Way to kill the mood, Arlert," Annie muttered, half-jokingly and the blond boy laughed lightly.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I've been thinking about these past few days, you know? I love being in Trost so much and I'm _horrified_ to leave and be surrounded by new people. You know, the Jaegers offered to move with me."

"Are they going to?" Annie pried and Armin shook his head.

"No. I couldn't uproot them like that. Dr. Jaeger is doing so well here and Eren already got accepted into Shiganshina University. And you know how Mikasa is with Eren."

"She's like that with you too, you know," Annie said quietly. "Both of them. I've never seen so much love for a friend before. Hell, I've known Bertholdt and Reiner for my entire life and I don't think I love them nearly as much as Eren and Mikasa love you."

Armin smiled and Annie noticed him blushing. "They're incredible. I don't think I can imagine my life without them." He stopped. "But what makes you say that?"

Annie began fidgeting, silently wishing she hadn't said anything. The last thing she wanted to do was dig up a potentially painful memory. "You know when I accidentally punched you in the sixth grade?"

Armin blurted out laughing, causing Annie to jump and shoot him a curious look. "How could I forget?"

Annie attempted a weak laugh. "Well, the day after, Eren and Mikasa confronted me. This was before you arrived at school. They...Uh...Told me to stop associating with you. And Eren got really mad. Not like how he used to get when he'd lose to me in a soccer game, but the way he got when those bullies would pick on you."

"The ol' stare-o-death, huh?" Armin asked and Annie nodded.

"I was actually pretty scared," she continued. "Because I knew that they wouldn't hesitate to beat me up. They were both ready to take the fall for you and absolutely destroy me."

Armin laughed once more, but this time it was a little sadder. "No wonder you ran away so quickly when I came by. I'm sorry they threatened you like that."

Annie shrugged. "It's fine. It just showed how much they were willing to sacrifice for you. They're good people."

They fell silent once more, continuing to creep upon the quiet road. It was nearly five minutes when someone spoke again.

"I think we're here," Armin said quietly as he pulled into a desolate parking lot, leading into a massive park, filled with rusted playground equipment, yellowing grass, and a large hill reaching towards the heavens. He shut his car off and got out, running over to Annie's side to open her door. Taking the box from her lap, he stepped aside and Annie exited the car. She looked around them, noticing the lack of streetlamps and civilization. If she didn't trust and love Armin so much, she would've thought that he brought her out here to stealthily dispose of her body. Why he found such enjoyment from almost nothing, she couldn't understand.

"Follow me," Armin said quickly and began marching towards the hill. Annie followed silently, wrapping her arms around herself and wishing she had brought her hoodie with her as a soft breeze danced in between her and Armin. A crescent moon dimly illuminated the deep purple sky, guiding the couple to the top of the hill. As soon as they reached their destination, both panting lightly, Armin stopped to look around. "I love it up here!" he told her as she joined his side.

"How long have you been coming here?" Annie asked and Armin pondered this.

"Since I was really little. Like when my parents were still around. Of course, back then people actually came to this park. There used to be a little town near here, but business was so bad that everything was shut down and demolished. The only thing that was left was this park. Now I just come here to observe the stars and be alone with nature."

"Sounds like a great place for a date, huh?" Annie asked and Armin chuckled.

"Is that what you consider this outing?" he asked and Annie's face flared.

"Uh...N-no." He laughed again.

"I'm teasing," he assured and knelt down to retrieve his telescope. As he set it up, Annie looked northward, imagining what this town had looked like. She could see little shops and modest houses. Her gaze drifted towards the park, picturing the families that would spend their afternoons there. Little kids swinging and urging their parents to push them higher. Older boys and girls perched atop the monkey bars, gently swinging their feet. Babies being guided down the slides and children weaving in and out of the play structure, laughing wildly.

But she couldn't see a younger Armin down there. No, instead she looked towards him as he messed with his telescope, visualizing a much younger Armin sitting before his mother and father, watching them set up the contraption like they had done a thousand times before. His parents, both blurry figures to Annie's mind, slowly talked to him about the wonders of the world, filling his brain with infinite possibilities. She could see Armin, though still too young to fully grasp his parents' musings, grin and fall in love with the nature around him.

The daydream faded and Annie was back on the hilltop, watching Armin secure the telescope and peer into it. "Annie, come here," he said quickly, his voice lined with quiet excitement. She slowly approached and he stepped aside. "Look." She lowered herself and looked through the lens. She focused on the enlarged stars before her but frowned.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" she asked.

"You see that golden orb with a ring around it?" Armin asked and Annie studied the stars more before locating it.

"Whoa is that…?"

"Saturn" Armin finished, his voice light with a grin. "Yeah. Isn't it beautiful? You read about it in textbooks all the time, but once you see it, it becomes real."

Annie pulled away. "That's amazing. Are there any other planets out tonight?"

Armin nodded and Annie stepped aside, allowing him to reach the telescope. He repositioned it slowly and then stepped aside, allowing Annie to continue looking through the lens.

"Which one am I looking at?" she asked.

"Mars: the red one," he said. Annie located the planet and breathed out with awe. "Amazing, right?" he continued and she nodded. She pulled back from the telescope and turned to Armin, accidentally bumping into him, realizing how close he had gotten, probably trying to catch a glimpse of Earth's neighbor as well. He apologized quietly and stepped back.

Annie shifted uncomfortably. "A-are there any more planets?"

Armin shook his head. "Well, there are. They're just harder to see where we're at." Suddenly, he reached over and gripped her hand. "Come here." He brought her further away from the telescope and sat down on the dying grass. She followed him as he fell back and gazed at the stars.

They let the silence embrace them. Slowly Armin raised his hand and ran his finger along the sky, tracing the constellations. "My grandpa used to make up stories about the constellations for me," he said. "After my parents left, I used to have these awful nightmares about being alone and surrounded by these giant monsters. It got so bad that I didn't sleep for a week. So my grandpa told me that the big bear and dragon in the sky would take care of me."

"Aww," Annie sighed with a smile. "That's actually really sweet. Did it work?"

Armin laughed. "No. I was more terrified of the killer predators in the sky that knew where I was."

Annie let out a laugh, placing her hand over her mouth. Armin smiled and faced her. "You have a really pretty laugh, Annie."

Annie stopped laughing but couldn't bring herself to look away from Armin. "You think so?"

Armin nodded. "Yeah…" He sighed, before shaking his head and laughing lowly. "Did I ever tell you that I had a _massive_ crush on you?" Annie raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. When we were in the first grade. After you defended me from those jerks, I thought you were the most amazing person to grace the presence of the earth. I remember telling my grandpa I wanted to marry you."

Annie couldn't stop the laugh that escaped once more from her lips. "You're kidding!"

Armin shook his head, grinning widely. "Not in the slightest. I was so in love. It was rather silly, really, but nice at the same time."

Silence, once more, permeated their conversation. While Annie appeared calm and stoic on the outside, she was internally freaking out. _Armin loved me?_ She thought quickly and then paused. _Loved...Past tense._ She cleared her throat. "Um. When did you stop feeling that way?"

Armin pondered this question as if it were a complex calculus equation. "You know...I don't think I ever did stop loving you."

Her breath hitched and heartbeat quickened. _He's kidding, right?_ "Y-you never stopped?" she asked cautiously.

"Nope," he responded. He broke out into another laugh temporary relieving them from the tension that gripped both of their hearts. "I'm sorry, I made this so awkward. I don't know what compelled me to spill my feelings like that."

 _He_ loves _me,_ Annie thought. _Loves. Armin Arlert just said he loves me._ She sat up suddenly, continuing to give Armin a puzzled look. Her mind was overloaded with emotion. It felt as if she weren't even control of her own body. When he sat up, following her to ask if she was okay, she lurched forward, pressing her lips against his. Startled by this sudden action, Armin gasped lightly. Annie feared she had moved too quickly and cursed her heart for manipulating her. Armin, however, didn't pull away. He kissed back, bringing his hand up to her cheek, cupping it gently. And for a moment, they stayed like that. Not succumbing to fear of rejection. Just kissing. And oh, how Annie's heart sung.

All too soon, though, Armin pulled away. She opened her eyes slowly, greeted by his gentle expression. He brushed his thumb along her cheek before dropping his hand to grab hers.

"Guess the feeling is mutual?" he asked shyly.

Annie smirked, feeling the weight of embarrassment and fear slide from her shoulders. "You're such a dork," she said and pulled him in for another kiss, feeling years of desires and emotion flooding out of her in a wave of passion and pure love. And while she knew that tomorrow would bring their departure, her mind recalled a phrase the boy had recited in his moving valedictorian speech to keep her from stopping. _Never miss out on an opportunity to love._

After a silent but incredible moment, she pulled back and reached into her pocket. Slowly, she removed a stone: his stone. Their stone. She grabbed his hand and opened it, gently placing the pebble in his palm. He looked at it quizzically before his blue eyes bounced back to her own.

"What's this for?" he asked softly.

"When you leave to Fortuna," Annie said. "You gave it to me to help me be brave. And now since you're moving to a brand new place, I want you to take it with you. It'll help you be brave too."

His gaze fell back on the stone and he rotated it in his fingers before smiling. "After all of these years, you kept it?"

"Of course," she said, reflecting upon the mere seconds before when the two had finally joined together. "It's lucky."

Armin looked back up at her, his eyes flashing with a realization. He shook his head and placed the stone back in her palm. "I want you to keep it," he said, closing her fingers around it. "Knowing you've kept it all these years is enough for me."

At first, she wanted to argue. She was trying to be nice and give up something that meant the world to her, and he kindly rejected. But soon, it hit her. _He didn't take it because he knew how much it meant to me_ , she thought. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and smiled, holding the pebble close.

Words failed the two, but they didn't mind. The teens fell back onto the grass, Armin pulling Annie close to him. As the night grew colder and the stars grew brighter, he held onto her and continued to talk about the galaxies hidden in the sky. And she listened, her face pressed against his chest, listening to his stories and his soft heartbeat. For the first time in such a long time, Annie was not afraid to be around him. To admit her feelings. She never wanted this moment to end.

But of course, as all good things do, their outing came to an end.

Around midnight, Armin and Annie made their way back to Armin's car. He placed his telescope on the hood of his car and faced Annie, reaching to grab her hands. Annie gave him a somber smile, before averting his gaze and staring at the ground.

"I wish we had more time," she said and Armin nodded. Annie laughed shortly and shook her head. "Part of me wants to ask you to stay." She looked up to capture his sad smile.

"Part of me wants that too," he said quietly.

"But I could never ask you to give up on your dreams," Annie continued quickly. "I know how much this opportunity means to you and I'd feel even more awful if you stayed." Her voice trembled on the last word and she looked back down, squeezing her eyes shut. _Don't cry_ , she thought. _Don't cry. Don't...cry…_

Armin lifted her chin but she looked away, feeling the warm tears escape her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. "Annie," Armin said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Annie shook her head. "No, no. Don't be. It's not your fault. I want you to be happy, Armin. Even if that means leaving Trost." She hesitated before looking up at him once more. "I'll wait for you."

Armin smiled and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I'll wait for you too, Annie."

Annie buried her face into his shoulder and squeezed tighter. "Just promise you won't make me wait too long, okay?" she asked, her voice muffled and dangerously close to sobbing.

Armin laughed quietly. "I promise." He placed a kiss atop her head and continued to hold her.

Finally, they released each other and Armin opened the car door for Annie. She quietly stepped in and they soon departed from the park, driving in complete silence all the way to Annie's home, holding each other's hand.

When she got out of the car, she waved to Armin and he smiled before driving off. Annie wiped her tears from her face and sighed, looking up at the stars, mentally connecting them together and running her thumb along the smooth surface of the stone as she retrieved it once more from her pocket. "Maybe things will work out," she said quietly, before turning on her heel and retreating back inside her home.

 _Maybe_.

* * *

 **I apologize for the delay in updating this story. I am currently taking sme time off from writing so I can focus more on school, as finals week is drawing closer. But I figured in celebration of season 2 of AoT being released yesterday, I'd update this story!**

 **Thank you for being so patient and leaving such kind and thoughtful feedback, as well as votes/favorites/kudos! It genuinely means the world to me!**

 **See you all again soon!**


	5. Chapter Five: Forever and Always

**Special thank you to my lovely friend Ghazi for revising and co-writing this chapter!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

There were better things to receive in the mail than the occasional bill and grocery ads. Armin's wedding invitation was not one of them.

Annie held the thin cardstock in her hand, chewing the inside of her cheek as she studied Armin and his bride-to-be. _God, they look so happy_ , she thought solemnly. A girl with long, curly strawberry-colored hair wrapped her arms around his neck in one picture, balancing on his back. Armin looked up at her with a smile. Another picture showed the couple standing hand in hand in an apple orchard. Armin pressed his forehead against hers and they both grinned. The final picture was a tender, candid kiss shared between the two. Underneath all of this, in swooping cursive, was their plea to "Save the Date".

Annie crumpled the invitation and threw it across her living room before falling backward onto her couch. She couldn't quite understand the rush of emotions she was feeling. It had been so long since this amount of sorrow and bitterness crossed her mind. She pressed her palms against her eyes, as if to dam the tears before they started flooding, heaving out a frustrated sigh.

It wasn't like she and Armin were still dating. That ship had sailed and crashed before it could even reach the ocean.

Everything was wonderful at first. After Armin's departure to Fortuna, Annie spent most of her days texting him and her nights calling him. There hadn't been a day that went by when the two held back on a conversation. Even as Armin became busy with his studies, he still found time to call her and listen to her voice, enthusing about her day.

After the semester closed for winter break, Annie joined the Jaegers in greeting Armin as he returned to Trost for the holidays. As soon as she saw him descending down the escalators to the terminal baggage claim, she ran past the Jaegers and jumped into his arms, causing him to stumble back and drop his carry-on suitcase, and laugh cheerfully before embracing her back. She would have kissed him, but Mikasa and Eren were quick to join, pulling their friend into tight hugs.

For the entire break, the couple seldom spent a day without being with the other. Each moment they had, they'd escape their family homes and meet in a chilly park or the old ice cream parlor. Near Christmas, they celebrated Annie receiving her official admission into the Sina Institute of Fine Arts. Everything felt right in the world.

When winter break came to a close and Annie had to say goodbye to Armin once more, she became heartbroken. He assured her that they'd meet again in the spring and that they'd continue to talk everyday until he came back. As she waved him off at the terminal, Annie had no clue that would be the final time she saw Armin in person for the next several years.

Their first fight happened during the week of spring break. Despite the plans they had made for Armin's return, he solemnly reported that he wouldn't be able to come home. His job prohibited him from taking so much time off and he had several papers to construct for his classes. When Annie received this news, she was understandably upset. No matter what she said or did, it wouldn't bring Armin home. Out of frustration, she told Armin that she couldn't handle their long-distance relationship. She expressed the sorrow she felt every night when he had gone to bed early due to a time difference and she lay alone, wondering if she had made the right choice. Armin argued that they both knew their relationship would be difficult and urged her to be patient.

But Annie couldn't do it. Especially when Armin reported he wouldn't be home during the summer either. He couldn't get the time off from work and he had decided to take a couple more classes to stay caught up. Annie offered to fly to where he was, but Armin denied this. He told her that her presence would distract him and that it was much too expensive. Finding slight offense in this, Annie fell silent for the next couple of days.

A week later, they officially broke up. While it wasn't a messy separation and the two tried to remain friends, they soon lost contact.

Six years later, Annie was sprawled across her couch, her thoughts swirling in heartbreak and anger. Part of her hated how Armin looked better off. He found a pretty girl who, Annie later figured out through a social media search, was just as smart as he was. They went to the same school, they were majoring in the same thing. Hell, they even liked the same ice cream flavor. She was everything Annie couldn't be and that enraged her.

But the other half of her felt a deep remorse for what could have been. What if she had been more patient? Would she have been the one he was holding so closely in that wedding invitation? She wished she hadn't gotten so upset, but it was completely understandable. He was far more consumed in his studies than he was about her. It was expected of him, though she knew he didn't mean any harm by it. It still hurt, however, knowing that she had been second to his work. Perhaps this was best for both of them. Armin would get the perfect girl and Annie could finally move on.

At least, she hoped it would be that way.

Her apartment door suddenly clicked open and in stepped her roommate and lifelong friend, Bertholdt Hoover. He had returned from a meeting at the school he worked at part-time. He smiled upon seeing Annie and placed his key on a hook by their door before slipping off his shoes. "Hey," he greeted and Annie muttered something in response. "Long day?" he queried.

Annie sat up on the couch and sighed, shaking her head. "No. I'm just tired," she assured. The last thing she wished to do was further discuss the matter eating away at her mind. Bertholdt frowned and soon joined her on the couch. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and asked Annie for the remote. She handed it to him and he thanked her, turning on their TV and flipping through their small selection of channels. "What about you," she continued. "How was work?"

Bertholdt nodded. "It was nice. Mr. Freudenberg was dull, as per usual." Annie sighed and scooted closer to Bertholdt, leaning against his shoulder.

"And you _still_ want to work there full-time?" she asked in disbelief and the tall brunet grinned.

"Of course," he said. "They're in desperate need of counselors and this could be my chance to give Reconnaissance High what it lacked when we were students."

Annie rolled her eyes. "I still think you're crazy," she stated quietly and Bertholdt chuckled. "Who wants to spend their entire day hanging around bratty teenagers?"

"Just because you were a rotten kid," Bertholdt began, nudging her playfully, "doesn't mean everyone else has to be."

Annie scoffed and shoved back. "I was not _rotten_. If anyone was, it would be Reiner."

Bertholdt chuckled once more, but it was cut short by a realization made on his part. "Speaking of, Reiner texted me and said he got held up at the precinct. He doesn't think he'll be able to make it to dinner tonight."

"I'm sure Ymir won't mind," Annie assured. "By the way, when are the two love-birds coming?"

"Historia said around six o'clock," Bertholdt informed, briefly checking his phone to correct himself if needed. "It's nice that we're all getting together again. I mean, the last time we had the gang together was when Historia and Ymir were getting married."

Annie nodded slowly, recognizing the lengthy time difference between their friendly gatherings. She was sad that their interactions were so infrequent nowadays, as they spent nearly every day in high school together. It was just another testament to them growing older and not having enough time for each other. Just like her relationship with Armin.

"Hey, what's that?" Bertholdt queried, pulling Annie away from her somber thoughts. She looked at him then followed his gaze towards the floor, where she had tossed the wedding invitation. Bertholdt stood up to retrieve it, but Annie was faster. She picked up the paper ball and offered an awkward smile.

"I was writing down some notes for a graphic design project," she informed quickly. "But I didn't like them."

Bertholdt gave her a questioning look, but shrugged it off and returned to the couch as Annie quietly made her way to the kitchen, tossing the invitation in the garbage. She let out a soft sigh and turned towards Bertholdt. "Hey, I'm going to get some sleep before everyone comes over."

Bertholdt nodded, waving her off. Annie retreated to her room, quickly locking the door and flopping back on her bed. Though she had intended on brooding over the events of that day, sleep soon overcame her exhausted mind.

Hours later, she awoke. Groggily glancing towards her clock, she groaned internally and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Historia and Ymir would be arriving at any moment. Annie pushed herself off of her bed and walked to her closet, changing out of her pajama bottoms into some nicer-looking jeans and exchanging her university hoodie for a plain white jacket. After straightening her appearance, she exited her room and slowly made her way to the kitchen.

Bertholdt was placing ceramic dishes on a splintered, wooden table. He greeted Annie once more, though his tone suggested more interest in the task at hand. Annie made her way to the countertops to look at what Bertholdt had prepared for their night. Alfredo pasta, caesar salad, fresh bread topped with garlic, herbs, and butter. And of course, no dinner party would be complete without the several bottles of white and red wine.

"Looks good," Annie commented before reaching for one of the bottles. She popped the cork off, scaring Bertholdt and causing him to drop a plate, its shards shooting across the floor.

"Dammit," Bertholdt muttered and turned towards Annie. "Can't wait to get tipsy, huh?"

Annie shrugged and poured the crimson liquid into a coffee mug before raising it in Bertholdt's direction. "There's never a bad time to get a little drunk," she said before downing the contents of the mug and placing it in the sink.

"Is something bothering you?" Bertholdt asked cautiously, bending down to pick up the plate shards. "You've been acting kinda funny all day."

"We're hosting a dinner party for our married friends, whom we haven't seen in at least six months, when I could be watching a trashy reality television show in my pajamas and drinking something other than rich people beer." Annie sighed heavily. "What do you think?"

Bertholdt shook his head slowly, standing after having picked up the final shard. "If you want to fake a stomach virus, I'll be fine entertaining Historia and Ymir on my own."

Annie rolled her eyes as a knock reverberated throughout the living/kitchen area. "Nah, I couldn't do that to you, Bert." She made her way to the door. She slowly opened it and nodded towards the two women standing before her. Ymir, dressed just as fancy as Annie was, had her arm wrapped around Historia with a bored expression plastered across her freckled face. Her wife, on the other hand, wore a delicate sundress and looked rather excited to spend the evening in a tiny apartment with her friends. She broke away from Ymir to pull Annie into a hug.

"Annie!" she called out. "Oh, it's been so long!"

"Nice to see you too, Historia," Annie replied, awkwardly patting her friend on the back and sharing a discreet nod with Ymir.

Bertholdt joined them shortly after, returning Historia's affectionate greeting and receiving a playful noogie from Ymir, much to his displeasure.

Their dinner conversation started off typically, with each asking each other what was new. Bertholdt discussed his job at the high school and Historia enthused about his career path. Ymir shared bored looks with Annie, mindlessly twirling her pasta around with her fork. When it was the brunette's turn to finally speak about what she had been up to, Ymir talked about her new job at a law firm. According to Historia, she was "royally screwing" with all of her opponents and was making incredible strides in her field. Meanwhile, the Reiss daughter was campaigning for the position of mayor.

As the conversation slowly died down and the wine bottles grew emptier, Historia spoke during a particular lull brought on by Ymir discussing one of her more gruesome murder cases. "So, did you guys get Armin's wedding invite?" she asked.

Annie froze, her gaze darting to Bertholdt who raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Armin's getting married?" he asked.

Historia nodded. "Yeah, next month. In Trost too! His bride is so pretty."

Ymir cleared her throat awkwardly, catching her wife's confused glance, and trying to subtly gesture towards Annie. Historia's eyes widened and she turned to Annie. "I mean, not as pretty as you, Annie!"

Annie shrugged. "It's fine. What's done is done. Armin and I both agreed it was best to go our separate ways. I'm happy he's moving on." She was lying, of course, but her dinner guests didn't need to know that.

Bertholdt reached over to place his hand atop hers, giving her a sympathetic look of sorrow. Ymir shrugged. "I'm guessing you're not going to go to his wedding then," she said and Annie shook her head. "Shame. It would be fun to glam you up and have him see what he's missing out on."

"So that's what that paper was," Bertholdt muttered. "The one you threw out, Annie. Are you okay? I know how much you cared for him."

Annie nodded. "I'm fine." Though everyone could sense the bitterness in her tone and the sadness growing in her sapphire eyes. Feeling the somber gazes of her friends fall upon her was almost as uncomfortable as the entire dinner party itself. Annie pushed herself up from the table. "I'm going to turn in early. It was nice seeing you two again. Good night."

"Annie, wait," Ymir said quickly, but Annie was already opening her room door. She gave her friends a final wave before shutting and locking the door behind her. Slowly, she breathed out and made her way to her bed. She fell back onto it and stared at the ceiling for God knows how long.

She had told herself repeatedly that she was indifferent to the situation. After all, they hadn't spoken in years. Even if Annie still had some sort of romantic attraction towards Armin, there was no point in trying to rekindle that flame.

Still, just reminiscing of their time spent together, from their first kiss to their last in the airport terminal before everything went awry, made Annie's heart ache tremendously. And just knowing that Armin already had his arms wrapped around some other girl that was destined to become his wife in a month's time continued to churn her stomach.

She still loved Armin. Immensely. But it was like that old saying: "If you love something, let it go." Annie held onto the slight possibility that, if it was indeed true love that she was experiencing, Armin would come back to her.

 **One Month Later**

"You sure you don't want to come?" Bertholdt asked Annie as the shorter blonde straightened his suit for him. She shrugged.

"I'm sure," she said quietly and gave him a small smile. "It's just for the best, you know."

Bertholdt sighed, ready to debate with her about her true feelings on the matter, but simply offered a sympathetic smile. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed her. "And you're still okay with Reiner and I going to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding ceremony?"

Annie nodded firmly. "Armin's still our friend. Just because he and I didn't work out doesn't mean you guys can't ever see him again." She took a step back from Bertholdt. "Go have fun, alright? Don't worry about me."

Bertholdt opened his mouth to speak once more, perhaps to voice his concern about leaving Annie alone on a night like this one, but was abruptly interrupted by Reiner emerging from his room and approaching the two, pulling them both in tight hugs.

"I love you two," Reiner sighed happily.

"The hell is wrong with you," Annie queried, her tone as stiff as her body with the unwanted physical contact.

"Weddings make me sentimental," Reiner said quickly. He pulled away and started making his way towards the door, dragging Bertholdt along. "We'll probably be home tomorrow morning. In other words, don't wait for us!"

Bertholdt shook his head quickly, trying to correct Reiner on their return time, but before he could get out another word, the duo had exited the apartment and Reiner had slammed the door shut.

Once the apartment fell silent, Annie made her way to the couch and flopped back onto it, turning on the television and falling into a rather odd reality program featuring up and coming celebrities living in the wild. After shaking her head at some of the antics the icons were up to, Annie began feeling herself drift off into a welcomed unconsciousness.

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

Annie jolted awake, sitting up on the couch. Groggily she checked the time on the television and swore under her breath before muttering, "Who could possibly be knocking on my door at two in the morning?"

She sighed and pushed herself off the couch, undoing the rubber-band in her hair and letting her hair fall over her shoulders. Brushing her matted hair with her fingers, she approached the door and undid the lock before cracking it open. She prepared a scathing speech about bothering people at such an ungodly hour, even if it was a weekend, but her words failed her when she saw the intruder.

"Hey," Armin said with a shy smile, "Annie. It's...Good to see you again."

"Armin?" Annie asked cautiously and the blond bridegroom nodded. He was still dressed in his formal wear from earlier that evening and, if Annie wasn't mistaken, he looked a little tipsy. "What are you doing? Aren't you getting married today?"

"I came to see you," Armin answered. He gestured towards the inside of her apartment. "Mind if I come in?"

"Kind of," Annie admitted quickly, opening the door fully. "What about your fiancee? Where is she?"

Armin nodded slowly, addressing Annie's concern. "Maria and I decided it would be best to not see each other until the actual wedding. You know, something about it being bad luck to see the bride on her wedding day, or whatnot." He shook his head. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Then why are you here?" Annie continued, leaning against the doorway, still prohibiting him access to her home.

Armin swallowed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "When I didn't see you tonight I got a little worried. I asked Reiner and Bertholdt if you were doing alright and Reiner said you didn't want to come."

"Well he's not wrong," Annie supplied slowly. "I mean, who wants to eagerly attend their ex's wedding festivities?"

"I understand," Armin continued. "I just thought we were past the point of being 'exes', you know. I don't want to lose your friendship, Annie."

Annie sighed heavily. "Armin, we haven't talked in years."

"I know, I know," Armin said quickly, shaking his head. "And rekindling our friendship through my marriage probably isn't the best way to do it. But...I just miss talking to you, Annie. I want us to be friends again. And I want you to feel comfortable enough to come to my wedding."

Annie sighed once more and stepped aside, gesturing for the groom to enter the apartment. Armin slowly did so and she led him to the couch while she retreated to the kitchen. She brought him back a glass of water and sat across from him on the coffee table. She was silent for a moment, watching as he slowly consumed the water. She heaved a sigh and shook her head. "Armin," Annie said quietly, "getting over you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. To be honest, I'm not even sure I am entirely over you. And seeing you with someone else...It's not exactly easy, you know?"

Armin gently set his glass down and gave Annie a quizzical glance. "Oh," he muttered, suddenly becoming aware of the extent of Annie's feelings and her intention of not attending his wedding ceremony. "I'm so sorry, Annie."

Annie shook her head and offered him a sad smile, though inside she could feel herself crumbling into sorrow. It took everything she had to stop the lump in her throat from growing in size. "It's not your fault, Armin. We had some good times but...Maybe it's best if we both move on." She cautiously reached out and placed her hand on his knee. Their eyes met and for a moment, Annie's heart fluttered, her mind flashing back to that night on the hilltop.

She so desperately wanted to kiss him and take back everything she said. She wanted to start over with him. She wanted to be the one he'd meet at the altar.

But it was too late, and she knew that.

"Can I ask you something," Armin said, his voice barely rising above a whisper. Annie nodded and he looked down. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

"Getting married?" Annie asked and Armin nodded. "Why would you say that? Don't you love this girl?"

Armin brought his hands to his face and sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. "I do. I really do love her. Maria is one of the most amazing women I've ever met. We have so much in common and she's so smart and beautiful. But I worry that I'm rushing into this."

"The Armin I knew never rushed into anything," Annie responded and Armin chuckled lightly, though his tone was still nervous.

"I normally don't," Armin supplied, "but Maria…" He shook his head once more. "After we had been dating for a year she kept telling me how badly she wanted to get married and start a family with me. I guess, I just felt pressured to propose."

"But you still love her," Annie asked once more and Armin looked up at her.

Part of Annie wished he would admit that he didn't and that it was all just a big mistake. But, he nodded and cracked a smile. "I do love her." Though Annie's heart crumbled, she also gave him a smile.

"Then that's your answer," she said. She pushed herself up from the coffee table and offered Armin her hand. After pulling him up, Annie started leading him to the door. "You should probably get home now. Are you okay to drive?"

Armin nodded and smiled as Annie opened the door. "Thank you for listening," he said. Annie nodded and leaned against the open door.

"We're friends," she confirmed softly. "It's what we're supposed to do."

Armin chuckled. "I know it's probably a long shot, but has my friend changed her mind about coming to my wedding? I know you might not feel comfortable, but it really wouldn't be the same without you, Annie."

Annie gave him a somber smile but shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just can't." His look of minor disappointment made her heart continue to ache. He needed her there, for some reason she couldn't quite decipher. Whether it was to grant her approval for his decision or simply to offer moral support, it wasn't enough to push Annie to accept. As much as she still deeply cared for genius she had fallen in love with all those years ago, she couldn't bear to see him pledge his life to another woman.

That's when a thought struck her. She held up her hand, halting Armin as he tried to step out of her apartment. "Wait here," she said quickly. She stepped away from the door and walked to her room, opening up her dresser drawer and searching through the mess of delicate clothing items. She finally found it, pushed near the back corner.

Armin's stone. She squeezed it tightly and returned to the entrance, where Armin continued to give her a puzzled look, wondering what she was up to. She reached out and took his hand in hers, opening his palm and placing the stone within his grasp. She then closed his fingers around it.

"You still have it?" Armin asked softly, knowing already what was within his hold without having to look. "I thought you got rid of it after we...You know…"

"It's helped me before," Annie admitted. "And I know it can help you. It is pretty lucky after all."

Armin chuckled. "No, I'm the lucky one," he said and pulled Annie into an unexpected hug. She gasped lightly but made no attempt at pulling away. Instead, she sunk deeper into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I'm lucky to have you as a friend, Annie."

There was that damn lump again. Annie managed a weak laugh before he pulled away. "Good luck," Annie said and Armin nodded.

"You too, Annie." He stepped out into the hallway and grinned. "Don't be a stranger, alright? I expect to hear from you soon, okay? Maybe we can get together with some of our old friends and get some ice cream?"

Annie nodded slowly. "I'd like that," she said and waved her hand. "I'll see you around, Arlert."

"Can't wait, Leonhardt," Armin said before turning to walk down the stretch of hallway to the elevator. Annie sighed and slowly shut the door before squeezing her eyes shut and allowing the tears that had built up during their conversation to fall down her cheeks.

"Dammit," she muttered. She breathed out slowly and turned off the lights before retreating back to her room and shutting the door. She fell back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, her eyes slowly tracing down the wall and to her dresser, still hanging open. Now devoid of a particular pebble.

But if it made Armin happy, then she couldn't complain. Even if, in the end, it left her in tears.

...

A soft buzz began caressing her ear, almost as if a bee were lazily flying past her. Annie grumbled under her breath, swatting at what she assumed was the pesky insect and sunk further into her covers. But the buzzing continued and only swelled in volume the more Annie was drawn from her slumber and prodded awake. Her eyes slowly opened and she turned her head to her nightstand, noticing her darkened room illuminated by her phone's screen lighting up. It vibrated, it's low growl echoed by the wooden table it sat on and Annie sighed. She considered dropping the call; after all, the sun wasn't even out yet and any respectable person would have waited until at least noon to call her.

A strange urge in her gut, however, made her push herself up and reach towards the phone. As she pulled it from the table, she noticed the time: 6:34 AM. Accompanying the time was the all-too-happy profile picture of Bertholdt. "This better be important," Annie sighed before answering the call and placing the phone against her ear. "Hello?" she asked groggily, immediately picking up on a variety of noises coming from Bertholdt's end: the sound of cars slowly creeping by, a soft wind brushing against his microphone, nervous background chatter.

"Annie?" Bertholdt asked and she confirmed her presence. "Oh thank God. I've been trying to reach you for the past fifteen minutes." His tone bothered her; it was very clear that something was wrong. She swung her feet over the edge of her bed and leaned forward.

"Bert what's up?" she asked. "Is everything okay? You sound a little worried?"

In the background, she heard Reiner's voice. "Dude, did she finally answer?" he asked and Bertholdt shushed him.

"Annie, where are you right now?" Bertholdt continued.

"I'm in my bed," Annie informed. "Hey, I don't like this. What's going on? Is someone hurt? Where are you guys?"

Reiner spoke up again, but this time his chatter was directed towards someone he addressed as "officer". Annie's fears settled for a moment. She figured that Bertholdt and Reiner had just gotten in trouble with the law and needed bail. It wouldn't be the first time that Reiner's antics had gotten the duo in hot water. Oh, how she wished that were the case in this situation.

"Annie," Bertholdt continued, his voice slowing. "There's been a very bad accident."

"Oh my God," Annie breathed out heavily. "Are you okay?"

"Reiner and I are fine," Bertholdt assured. Annie sighed out in relief. "We weren't involved in the accident. But, Annie...Armin was."

* * *

 **I appreciate the patience I was given during the time it took me to write and post this! School got unexpectedly crazy, and while I have been out for a few weeks now, I still had quite a bit to do to prepare for the rest of the summer and next semester. Plus, I really just needed a break from responsibilities. ^^'**

 **So thank you again for waiting for so long and I will try to update this story a little faster next time! And thank you for the kind comments too! I genuinely enjoy hearing what you all have to say!**

 **See you all again soon!**


	6. Chapter Six: Everlong

**Special thank you to my friend Ghazi for assisting in the writing process for this chapter!**

 **Enjoy! (Also, I totally recommend listening to Boyce Avenue's _Everlong_ cover to enhance the emotions of this chapter, as it definitely inspired most of it!)**

* * *

"W-what?" Annie sputtered out, her heart beating erratically. She must have heard them wrong. It almost sounded like...

"Armin got in an accident," Bertholdt confirmed and for a moment, Annie froze, phasing out his explanation. _Impossible_ , she thought, _he was just here a few hours ago._ "...Didn't see the accident happen but..."

"Wait," Annie said quickly. "Start over. What happened? How did you guys find out? Are you at the scene right now? Is he okay?"

"Annie calm down," Bertholdt said quickly. "Reiner and I went to a bar after the dinner and as we were heading home, we heard sirens and saw a bunch of flashing lights at the intersection near Marley's Diner. As we got closer, we noticed that one of the vehicles involved looked exactly like Armin's car and it wasn't until we saw his Fortuna bumper sticker..." Bertholdt stopped to collect his thoughts. Annie swallowed heavily in anticipation. The most important question she had asked had still remained unanswered. "Anyway, Reiner pulled over and we got out to talk to the officers. They tried to push us away but when we mentioned that we knew Armin, they pulled aside and started briefing us on the situation.

"Some witnesses who saw the crash said Armin was hit on the driver's side by someone who ran the red light. He was hit pretty hard, Annie. When we got here, he was still in his car. We tried helping but they wouldn't let us get any closer. The paramedics just got here and they're about to take him to the hospital. They told us he's still alive, but he's in really bad shape."

"Oh God," Annie muttered, feeling her body go numb. "Oh my God. Is anyone else there? Like Mikasa or Eren?"

"No," Bertholdt replied. "Reiner called them just a minute ago and they're headed to the hospital."

"I'm going too," Annie resolved and stood from her bed, holding the phone against her shoulder and moving to her closet.

Bertholdt sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. Just stay put, okay? Reiner and I will come and pick you up in about ten minutes."

Annie nodded, thanking Bertholdt before hanging up. As she continued to get ready, a dark thought kept nagging at her. _I could have stopped this from happening. I could have turned him away instantly and he would have been home without getting hurt. It's my fault._

The ride was silent. No one dared speak a word in fear of somehow making the situation worse. Annie shared worried glances with Bertholdt in the rear-view mirror and he tried to reassure her with a somber smile. It didn't do much, but she was grateful she wasn't spending this time alone. Though she may have wanted to deny it, she needed someone and she was relieved that her friends were quick to heed that call.

Annie received several panicked texts from Mina, who had heard from Marco, who had heard from Jean, who was told by his fiancee Mikasa, about the accident. Though she had since moved away from Trost, she tried her best to remain invested in Annie's life. It was difficult, but not impossible. Hearing that Annie's ex had been seriously injured and knowing the extent of Annie's feelings for him, Mina tried her hardest to comfort Annie.

Even Mikasa sent a small text to Annie, asking if she was okay, knowing how close she and Armin had been. Though, Annie didn't respond.

The hospital was cold and unwelcoming: a perfect place for a few anxious friends to meet. As Annie, Bertholdt and Reiner entered the waiting room, they were immediately greeted by Eren, who was relieved to see them.

"Thank you for letting us know," he said, approaching the men by Annie and giving them short hugs. He also pulled Annie into an embrace and gave her a smile as he pulled away.

"No problem," Reiner said, settling into a seat near the magazine rack. He pulled out a couple of issues of _Stohess Weekly_ and settled back. "Any word on what's happening with him?"

"No," a woman, who had been sitting next to Mikasa, said solemnly. Annie recognized her instantly as the bride-to-be herself: Maria. She was just as stunning in person as she was on her wedding invitation. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto Annie's and she raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid we haven't met yet," she said slowly.

"This is Annie," Bertholdt said quickly, gesturing to the blonde beside him. "We mentioned her at the dinner."

Maria nodded slowly, trying to remember the aforementioned event. "That's right. It's lovely to finally meet you, Annie. I wish it were under better circumstances."

 _Of course, she's just as lovely in speech_ , Annie thought. "It's unfortunate," she agreed and joined Reiner, lifting one of the magazines from his lap. She lazily flicked through it but made no attempt at paying attention to the actual content within it. How could she? The love of her life was probably dying on some operating table and here she was, sitting in a dingy waiting room, across from the fiancee of the man she loved.

Within the next couple of hours, Jean arrived, tailed by Connie and Sasha who were both bearing "Get Well" cards and a stuffed tiger doll. Jean joined Mikasa's side and gripped her hand tightly, kissing the side of her head and assuring that everything would be okay. Connie and Sasha joined Bertholdt, Reiner, and Annie and did their best to try to bring up everyone's spirits.

As annoying as they usually were, Annie was actually thankful to feel an emotion other than sadness and fear.

A doctor stepped into the room about an hour after their arrival, greeting the group with a short nod. "Are you all here for Armin Arlert?" he asked and they nodded. "Armin's suffered quite a bit of trauma," he continued. "His pelvis is completely shattered, along with several other bone fractures. The good news is that there isn't any internal bleeding. However, one of Armin's lungs collapsed and he's currently receiving treatment for that. The impact also caused severe spinal cord injuries."

"What's that mean?" Connie asked cautiously and the doctor sighed.

"It's very likely that your friend is paralyzed," the doctor informed and a heavily silence fell upon the room.

"Permanently?" Maria asked softly and the doctor sighed.

"It's much too soon to say for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was. The damage was quite extensive. It would take a miracle for him to be able to walk away from this in a few months time with no lasting injuries."

"Can we see him?" Mikasa asked quickly.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry but that's going to have to wait for a little while longer. As soon as he's ready, though, we will let you know."

"Thank you for taking care of him," Maria chimed in softly, smiling somberly as the doctor nodded and stepped out of the room. As he exited, she fell back into her chair, staring blankly at the ground. Though Annie wasn't entirely fond of her, she felt bad for the young bride-to-be. After all, it's not exactly comforting to be told that the love of your life was likely to be permanently paralyzed. Annie understood and felt this disappointment and worry for the future.

"I'm so sorry," Mikasa sighed, placing her hand on top of Maria's and giving it a gentle squeeze. Maria managed a sad smile and quietly thanked Mikasa for her comfort.

"Armin's strong," Eren assured.

Sasha nodded fervently. "Yeah! He'll be fine. If anything, we should be worried about the doctors that will be trying to keep up with his fast recovery."

Though she knew Sasha was being overly optimistic and didn't believe a single word of her musings, Annie couldn't help but smile at the thought. Armin was persistent, she knew that much. She saw this multiple times throughout his life. When he was pushed down, whether if it was by her own hand or others, he got back up. Granted he may have been badly injured, but nothing could take away his determination.

It was another hour before a nurse appeared. He smiled towards the gathering of anxious friends. "You're all here for Armin?" he asked and the adults confirmed with a solemn nod. "He's a very lucky guy to have such caring friends. I'm guessing Eren and Mikasa are among you?"

The Jaegers stood from their seats quickly. "That's us," Eren informed.

"Armin's been asking for you two," the nurse continued. Annie's gaze drifted towards Maria's, noticing her eyes glint with a hint of sadness. Annie understood that gnawing feeling of not being his first.

"What about the rest of us?" Jean asked, also standing and gesturing towards the others. "Can we see him too?"

"Armin's still quite loopy from surgery," the nurse said, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, but it's best to not overwhelm him right now."

"What about Maria?" Sasha asked and Armin's fiancee blushed and offered a sad smile.

"It's fine, Sasha," she assured. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure he wants to be around family right now, anyway."

"We'll be back soon," Mikasa announced quietly and the Jaegers followed the nurse out of the waiting room.

Reiner sighed quietly. "Oh God," he muttered. Bertholdt reached over to comfort his friend, but Reiner shrugged him off.

"You okay," Connie asked, nodding towards Reiner, who shook his head.

"This is insane," he answered. "Literally just a few hours ago we were laughing and dancing and now..." Annie nudged Reiner and he gave her a quizzical look before following her gaze towards Maria. Saying she looked sad was an understatement at best. She had locked her eyes on a very specific tile on the floor and looked emotionally empty. It wasn't difficult to see that she was struggling the most of them all and Reiner's expression of grief and doubt certainly wasn't helping. "Oh...Sorry."

Maria didn't respond, but rather stood up and quietly excused herself to the restroom. Sasha offered to accompany her but Maria politely declined, saying she just needed to be alone for a moment.

"I feel so bad for her," Sasha sighed, leaning back in her chair. "They were supposed to get married in a couple of hours."

Jean shook his head. "All of this still feels unreal, you know? I mean, when Mikasa texted me..." Jean paused, breathing out steadily to calm a flurry of emotions that had begun to permeate his thoughts. "He's alive though. That's all that matters."

"Even so," Connie continued, "he'll never be the same. You heard the doctor; Armin probably won't be able to walk ever again."

Annie stood suddenly, unable to bear the conversations longer. The others gave her a nervous glance, as if they had just recognized her presence. "I'm going to take a walk," she announced softly and slid out of the room before there could be any other objections or offers to join her.

Stepping out into the rising sun and feeling the soft breeze brush along her skin didn't help her mood at all. In fact, she felt even more disgusted. It was such a beautiful day and here they all were. Instead of a festive pavilion filled with giggling guests and excited chatter, they were cooped up in a hospital, surrounded by death and sadness. Certainly not an ideal way to spend one's wedding day.

Annie walked along the pathway in front of the hospital, flanked by elaborate flowers and bushes trimmed to perfection. The trail led to a massive clearing where, in the center, stood a marble fountain topped with a happy family of four. Some of the hospital's visitors lingered in the clearing, many deep within their own thoughts. There was a father holding onto his daughter's hand as she admired the statue. As Annie walked by, she caught a snippet of their conversation. "I think Mommy would like this!" she said and her father chuckled, agreeing softly. There was a pain in his voice that Annie caught on to. A pain that clearly expressed that "Mommy" wouldn't be able to see the statue in a very long time, if at all.

Annie found a bench within the clearing and sat down, taking a deep breath and trying to stabilize herself. It was difficult to remain composed in the waiting room. She had wanted to scream and cry, but she also didn't want to act as if she were the only one suffering. Yes, she was feeling a level of sorrow that many in that dreadful waiting room couldn't comprehend, but who was to say that the others weren't consumed in their own unique sadness. Her hand slowly drifted to her pocket and she sighed softly, retracting her hand. _Right_ , she thought to herself. _Armin has the stone._

"Mind if I join you?"

Annie jumped at the sudden intrusion and glanced up, tensing immediately. Maria stood above her, looking just as distraught but still managing to come off as pleasant. How she did so, Annie could never know. Annie nodded stiffly and moved to make room for the young woman.

"It's lovely out," Maria commented softly. "I hope Armin has a nice little room with a window. I know this view would cheer him up tremendously."

Annie nodded once more, staring ahead towards the fountain. She wasn't entirely sure how to handle a situation like this one: the bride of her ex sitting so casually beside her, as if the two were under no obligation to hate each other simply because they were interested in the same man. _This is wildly uncomfortable_ , Annie mused to herself.

Maria shifted as she retrieved something from her pocket, then turned to face Annie. "I have something for you." She held out her closed fist and Annie slowly lifted her hand, allowing Maria to drop a tiny object into her palm. Annie looked down and felt herself smile. "One of the nurses caught me on my way out here," Maria explained. "He said that Armin wanted to give this to you."

Annie closed her hand around the pebble and looked back up to Maria, still wearing her smile. "Th-thank you. I appreciate you getting this to me."

Maria nodded, offering her own content smile. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what's the story behind it? Obviously, it means a great deal to you."

Annie thought about what to tell Maria. She was still so unsure of how to interact with the woman. Society would dictate her to revert to a more hostile approach. After all, she was the one supposed to marry the man Annie still loved, despite how much she denied this to herself and those around her. But, there was something different about Maria. Something gentle and caring. And for the first time since she had learned of Maria's existence, Annie felt a strange peace creep upon her; a peace that assured Annie that Armin had made an excellent choice in his future companion. Maria was not like the girls Annie had grown to fear, but rather, someone who proved that, despite their situation and differences, she could at least be a friendly acquaintance.

Annie sighed. "We were young," she began. "Our sixth-grade class was putting on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I messed up one of my lines during our final performance. I was so scared because all I could think about was how disappointed my father was, especially after I had assured him that I was fully prepared. After my scene, I went backstage and started panicking. I was going back over my lines and Armin found me. He gave me this." Annie held up the stone. "He said that his grandfather gave it to him and told him it was lucky and that, as long as he had it, he could be brave."

"That's really sweet," Maria said softly, the grin spreading across her lips.

"Well," Annie continued, "Armin is a sweet guy." She laughed softly. "I tried to give it back after the performance and he wouldn't accept it. He told me to keep it and, it seems silly, but it's come in handy more times than I can count. He didn't know this, but I used to take it with me when I took tests and went in for job interviews. Just knowing he cared enough to give it to me...That was enough to make it magical."

"So how did he get ahold of it again?" Maria queried, tipping her head slightly.

Annie swallowed heavily and sighed. "I...Well...Armin came to my apartment last night." Before Maria could ask about her fiance's intentions, Annie held up her hand. "I promise, all we did was talk. He was trying to get me to reconsider coming to the wedding." Maria paused, but relaxed slowly, nodding to urge Annie to continue. "I told him I couldn't go, so instead I gave him the pebble. It seemed to cheer him up and I figured that it was time for me to let go of him and everything he's done for me."

"And here it is," Maria commented, "back in your hands."

"Yeah," Annie muttered softly, "I guess it is."

They were silent for a minute, listening to the soft splashing of the fountain before them. Annie kept her gaze focused to her palm, moving the stone around gently and trying to sort out the hurricane of emotions running wild within her. Finally, Maria spoke, her voice a little quieter than before.

"Armin's talked quite a bit about you," she informed. "Nothing but good things, of course. And I'm happy to see that a lot of what he's told me is true."

Annie blushed profusely and tensed, keeping her face down. "A-Armin's talked about me?"

Maria laughed lightly. "A lot, actually." She pushed the strawberry-blonde locks dangling in front of her eyes behind her ears. "He told me that you were the one that gave him that little brick he has on his bedside table. The one with all the paintings on it."

Annie's face continued to burn. She had completely forgotten about that gift: the small piece of hardened clay and shale to represent a childhood's worth of memories. "H-he still has it?" Annie asked in disbelief and Maria nodded firmly.

"He loves it," she added. "It was a very kind thing for you to do for him." Maria fell silent once more, a heavy aura of awkwardness falling upon the two once more. Annie briefly glanced towards the bride-to-be and noticed a striking sadness in her eyes that compelled Annie to be the first to talk this time.

"I'm so sorry," Annie said quietly. "You and Armin shouldn't be here. You should be out and be getting married and starting the rest of your lives together."

Maria laughed, her tone almost bitter. "They always say things happen for a reason." She shook her head.

"It's hard to see reason in this," Annie grumbled and Maria laughed once more.

"I'm with you on that." She stood from the bench, straightening her posture and breathing her emotions out in a single, burdened sigh. "I'm glad I got to talk to you some more, Annie. It's nice to have someone who isn't constantly wishing me well and telling me things are going to be okay. I hope that the next time we meet, it's under better circumstances."

"I hope so too," Annie replied.

"Well, I'm going to head back inside and see if Eren and Mikasa are done talking to Armin," Maria said. "Take care, Annie."

"You too, Maria." Annie offered her one last, forced smile before the bride-to-be sauntered off, back into the hospital building. For a moment, Annie continued to wallow in that strange sense of peace she felt earlier. Though their conversation hadn't been as personal, she felt like she understood Maria on a greater level. And after growing to hate her for so long, Annie felt at ease knowing that Maria was actually very kind and gracious. Something Annie knew she could never be herself.

It was about another hour before Annie re-entered the hospital room. She wouldn't have otherwise, but she had received a text from Bertholdt. The five words he sent were enough to motivate her to swallow her emotions for one moment and brave the storm that was about to come: "Armin wants to see you."

As she walked through the entrance, she came across Maria. She looked even sadder than before but managed to send Annie a pleasant smile laced with tears. She gently wiped at her eyes and sniffled quietly before wishing Annie a good rest of the day. Then she exited the building, but not before Annie took notice of the lack of engagement ring around the girl's finger.

Bertholdt met her in the waiting room and asked if she was doing okay. Annie lied, assuring her friend that she was doing fine and asked for Armin's room number. Taking in a shaky breath she slowly made her way down the silent halls, taking note of the room numbers in her mind.

306\. The door was propped open slightly and all it took was a glance inside for Annie to feel her heartache once more.

When she had broken Armin's nose in the sixth grade and was forced to see him in that medical splint for several days, the guilt nearly ate her alive. That was nothing compared to the broken boy before her.

Bones encased in white, hardened cloth prisons. Cuts and stitched lacerations painted his bruised face. A brace firmly wrapped around his neck. Annie couldn't bear to look at him. She stepped out of the doorway and leaned against the wall outside of his room, calming her rapid breathing. Passing nurses asked if she were feeling okay and she assured them that she just needed a moment. But there wasn't possibly enough time in the universe to prepare her for her visit. It was those five words, "Armin wants to see you", that eventually pushed her forward. Quietly and almost shamefully, she stepped inside the room.

Armin jostled at the sound of her entering. "Annie?" he croaked softly above the beeping machines surrounding him.

 _Dammit. Keep it together, Leonhardt_ , Annie pleaded internally. "Hey," she greeted, trying to hide the lump that was now swelling in her throat. Armin's lips formed into a pained smile.

"I must look horrifying," he continued tiredly. It was more than obvious that he was on a lot of painkillers, but the amount of attention he maintained would have suggested that he was still fully aware of everything around him. At least, aware enough to crack stupid jokes about the severity of his condition. It almost enraged Annie, but she remained calm. "No laughter?" Armin asked curiously, then chuckled lowly. "I must look worse than I thought."

Annie sighed loud enough for the genius to hear and he cracked another smile, amused at her disdain. "I suppose this is a dumb question to ask," Annie continued, "but how are you feeling?"

His smirk grew. "Would saying 'like I got hit by a car' be considered 'too soon'?" he asked. Annie couldn't help herself. She laughed suddenly and then quickly covered her mouth.

"You're a dork," she commented after settling down and he nodded as best he could.

"You know what they say," he said, "laughter is the best medicine."

"I'd avoid saying that around your doctors," Annie said, pulling up a chair to Armin's bedside and sitting down. He seemed to relax at her presence, which was the complete opposite of how Annie felt. To avoid a lull in the conversation that would leave the two in a painful silence, Annie continued speaking. "I didn't know you still had the pebble."

Armin hesitated for a moment, trying to recall the pebble Annie spoke of, and then nodded once more. "Of course. It's lucky." He tried to shift, but winced and grunted in pain before settling back in the bed. Annie offered to help, but he gently declined. "You know, they're telling me that I died two times on the way here. And another time while in surgery."

Annie felt her body go numb, the shock of this new information hitting her with the subtlety of a semi-truck. How he managed to remain so confident when talking about his own mortality, Annie couldn't decipher. "You consider that lucky?" she asked when she finally gained enough sense to speak.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Armin asked, smiling once more. For someone in, what Annie presumed to be, a lot of physical and emotional pain, she couldn't quite fathom how he remained so positive. Her eyes began wandering, analyzing everything in the bleak hospital room besides Armin himself. Her gaze settled on the table by his bedside and on it, Annie's attention focused on a curious little trinket, glimmering lazily underneath the bright lighting: Maria's engagement ring. _Oh no_ , Annie thought darkly, reaching to pick it up and examine it.

"Armin," Annie asked slowly, turning to face him. He rolled his head to face her and his eyes fell upon the ring. His relaxed posture that he had managed since Annie's arrival had faltered. "Did Maria...?"

Armin let out a shaky sigh and moved his head to stare straight ahead. "Ah," he muttered, "yeah. That. Maria and I...well, we decided it would be best if we...Called off the engagement...And the relationship."

Annie shook her head in disbelief. "While you're this injured and drugged up?"

Armin attempted a weak shrug. "I mean, it's not like I didn't understand a word she was saying. It's...Uh, actually why I wanted to talk to you. I was hoping we would joke around for a little longer, though. But I guess now is a better time than any."

"Oh God," Annie muttered, pressing her hands into her eyes to halt a rising headache. "Was this my fault? I must have said something..."

Armin shook his head lightly. "No," he assured. "It's not your fault. Actually, Maria said you helped her realize what she needed to do." He sighed and winced as a wave of discomfort washed over him. "I loved Maria, Annie. I know that. But...It took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't _in love_ with her." He shook his head. "I guess that doesn't make much sense."

"No," Annie began softly, "I understand what you mean."

Armin sighed happily and smiled. "Good, because I'm too tired to try and go further into detail."

Annie straightened her posture and moved to the edge of her seat, becoming aware of how exhausted Armin must have been. "I can leave if you want. You should be getting some rest."

Armin shook his head. "No, it's fine. I enjoy the company. Besides, I'd rather not be alone right now."

Annie hesitated, before nodding and sliding back into her seat. They talked some more, discussing what they had been up to since they had last seen each other. It didn't take much longer for Armin to slowly slip into a peaceful slumber and by that time, Annie decided it would be best to leave him be. She carefully removed herself from the chair, doing her best to remain silent. She reached out and squeezed Armin's hand gently, hoping that if he were dreaming, he'd feel the comfort she was trying to send to him. Then, she made her way out of the hospital room.

For the next month, Annie was on the constant receiving end of Armin's text messages. While she worked away at her graphic design job, hunched over a computer and grumbling about how much work she had to do in such a little time frame, he'd send her uplifting videos and pictures. She often didn't have time to send him something back, but when she went to visit him on the weekends, she expressed her gratitude for his attempt at making her feel better at work. And he always told her how grateful he was for her weekly visits.

For awhile, their relationship felt like it did in those sweet months after high school. Annie and Armin were constantly consumed in each other's presence, laughing about old memories and talking about their future. Armin was certain that his physical therapy would help him prevail over his doctor's prognosis of permanent paralysis and allow him to finally go on a round-the-world trip. Annie, though doubtful of Armin's full recovery, encouraged him to remain focused on his goals. He also gave her the same support, telling her that if she ever wanted to pursue her dream of living off of her artwork, that she should practice every single day. He even encouraged her to bring her drawing utensils to the hospital so that he could watch her draw.

Together, they built off of one another. What had initially begun as friendly visits quickly developed into something more thrilling. Around the end of the second month following Armin's accident, Annie felt a sinking pit in her stomach, realizing that the feelings she had suppressed for so long were finally clawing their way back to the surface of her heart. Frankly, it scared her to be so vulnerable again. The fear of losing him again, however, was far greater and compelled her to remain as close as possible.

Armin was able to return home three months after the accident. The Jaegers were more than happy to let Armin stay with them while he continued to recover, and Annie was even happier to continue to make her visits, especially without the restriction of hospital visitation hours.

One night, as the glow of a full moon pushed against the thin curtains of the Jaeger's living room, Annie sat beside Armin on a couch, watching a horror movie Eren had been raving about for the past several weeks. She had initially tried to keep her distance, sitting about a foot away from Armin, but as the movie progressed, she found herself inching closer to him. She wasn't scared necessarily, but every time a demon jumped onto the screen, she noticed Armin seize in fear and hold onto the couch cushions, as if reaching for something beside him to comfort him. It was enough to continue drawing her closer.

By the end of the movie, Annie found herself gently leaning against him, slowing easing in and out of consciousness. She felt safe beside him, something she hadn't experienced in a very long time.

"Annie," Armin said softly, gently prodding her awake. "Hey, it's over."

Annie blinked and sat straighter, trying to rub the exhaustion from her eyes. "Huh?" she asked. Her eyes fell upon the TV, now rolling the credits of the film. "Oh. I guess it is."

"Tired?" Armin asked, a sly smirk spreading across his lips. Annie sent him a harmless glare and he laughed. "You snore, you know. Just a little, though."

Annie felt her face grow hot and she shoved him, causing his laughter to only grow in volume. "Shut up," she grumbled.

"It's cute!" Armin assured quickly. "You're cute, Annie. Especially when you pretend to be mad."

"I am mad," Annie informed, though she knew that this was far from the truth. _Madly in love, maybe_ , she thought. _But I could never truly be mad at him._

Armin chuckled and straightened himself as best he could. "Okay," he said and smiled in her direction. He was silent for a moment, as if contemplating, then, he nodded in her direction. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you for coming to visit me all of those times. I know it must not have been easy, but you kept coming."

"What can I say," Annie sighed, shrugging her shoulders lazily, "I care about my friend."

"And I care about you," Armin added. She gave him a curious look. "You know, after Maria called off the engagement, I...I asked her if it was because I wasn't able to give her the life she always wanted. I had heard the doctors mention that I probably wouldn't ever be able to walk again and I thought that that's why she wanted to leave."

"But," Annie prodded and Armin nodded.

"But...She told me that it was because _she_ couldn't give me the life I wanted." Armin looked down at his hands, his fingers nervously interlocking and breaking apart. "She said that you two had talked and that all it took was you telling her the story of the pebble-our pebble-to fully realize that what we-she and I-had wasn't much of a relationship." Armin looked back up at Annie. "She knew love when she saw it, and she told me she could spot it a mile away when she looked at your eyes."

It was Annie's turn to look away and fidget nervously. "I didn't mean to break you up," she admitted softly. It had been one of the contributing reasons as to why she stayed around for so long. She felt so guilty for taking Armin away from Maria.

"You didn't break us up," Armin assured gently, reaching over to take one of her shaking hands. She looked up at him and held her breath. "You saved us from making a decision we weren't ready to handle. And...If you hadn't have given me that pebble when I came to see you, I don't think I would have realized that I made a huge mistake letting you go."

"Armin," Annie began shortly, but he cut her off.

"Please, let me finish. If I don't say what I need to say now, I will never get it out. These past few months have been difficult," he continued. "But the one constant that has kept me hopeful about recovery was you, Annie. When you came back after the first visit, I knew I had something worth fighting for. I had hope again. My life is never going to be the same again, and I know that. I'll probably never get to go skiing in the Alps or walk through the Amazon. But none of that matters. Because I have you."

There was no use in trying to hide the blush on her face now. "Sweet talker..." Annie muttered.

"I should have never let you go so easily when we were younger," Armin admitted. "There was no one who understood me or knew me better than you. And, if you'd let me, I'd like to make up for that lost time."

Annie sighed and scooted closer to Armin, before leaning against him and placing her head on his shoulder. He tensed at first, but soon relaxed into her, breathing out a steady sigh, his cinnamon breath lingering against her nose. "I'd love that," she said quietly, her voice barely rising above a whisper. "I love you." He looked at her quizzically, wondering if he had heard her right. She smiled and nestled deeper into his body. "I love you," she repeated. "God, it feels amazing to say that again."

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her, gently squeezing her shoulder. "I love you too," he said softly.

This was what she needed. Not a passionate kiss. Not an intimate dance. Just him with his arm around her. His gentle presence assuring her that everything would be okay. No matter what they would face next, they would do it together.

And that's all she could have asked for.

* * *

 **I cannot even begin to thank you all for being so patient. I know a near-two month wait isn't exactly ideal and I apologize for taking that long to release this chapter.**

 **That being said, this is technically the LAST chapter, minus the epilogue I hope to post soon. I'll save the cheesy remarks about how fun this was to write for that. I hope that this was satisfactory! If not, you are more than welcome to leave constructive criticism below. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing and the feedback I receive from you all is the best I can get!**

 **Thank you for the kind comments on the previous chapter! And I hope to see you all again soon!**


	7. Epilogue: Perfect

**Thank you, as always, for reading. And thank you, once more, to my lovely friend, Ghazi, for co-writing and assisting with editing for this chapter. None of this would have been possible without you, Ghazi!**

 **Also, this story has a Spotify playlist (which was also created with help from Ghazi)! So kick back, turn on some Spotify, and enjoy the final chapter of Annie Loves Armin! (And if you'd like, let me know if you come across any more songs that fit this story!)**

 **user/skyrules177/playlist/5e63B6xEWkMWPu45m0jM1I**

* * *

 _June 26_

Today Armin and I celebrated August's birthday. Even though he wasn't with us this year and hasn't been for almost five now, it still felt as if he were right beside us.

August Arlert came into our lives fifteen years ago. I still can hardly believe I've been a mother for that long. It seems like just yesterday when we brought our son home for the very first time and the reality of parenthood settled in on both of us. I remember crying alongside August that night, lamenting to Armin that there was no way I could be the perfect mother to this child. Armin held me close, as he always did when things got particularly rough, and laughed softly, assuring that there was no such thing as a perfect mother. It wasn't enough to stop the tears, but it made me laugh, and that was good for me.

August had a relatively normal childhood, or so I'd like to believe. When he started school, his teachers were always sending him home with notes about how impressed they were with his blossoming intelligence: a trait he surely gained from his father. My favorite memories were of him running through the door with his backpack dragging on the ground, clutching a myriad of books against his chest and begging me to drop everything I was doing so we could read together. It was his enthusiasm and excitement for life that often pulled me through my own.

Just like his father, August was curious about the world around him. When I'd have to separate the two from their casual studies for dinner or bedtime, I was often met with protests. There was little that could keep father and son apart. I was informed more than a handful of times of Armin checking August out of school early so they could visit an aquarium during feeding time, or so they could go to a museum when it was quietest. When I'd confront Armin about these, he'd simply smile and say he was giving August the childhood he deserves. It was hard to argue with such logic, but I managed.

When August was nine, just a few months from turning ten, Armin and I received the news that forever changed our world.

August had been sick for awhile. What we initially thought was a stomach virus quickly grew into something more vicious. After a restless night filled with consistent vomiting and August complaining that he was having trouble breathing, Armin and I rushed him to the ER.

I thought I had known fear up until this point in my life. I was convinced that I had faced the worst of it and that I was immune to such a desperate feeling of hopelessness. But the pure terror I felt watching my son lay limply in a hospital bed as nurses and doctors rushed around him, trying everything in their power to get him to feel at least a fraction better than he currently was...It was indescribable.

When things had settled down, Armin and I got closer to August and held his hands. Armin assured August that everything was fine. He made lighthearted jokes and told a more simplified version of his own hospital visit years prior.

"I was terrified!" Armin exclaimed with a gentle smile, running his hands through August's messy, blond locks. "But you know what helped me?"

"What?" August asked weakly, barely able to keep his eyes open as if he were falling asleep into Armin's comforting grasp.

"Your mother," Armin answered. I felt myself tear up and I let out a shaky laugh, quietly assuring August that I would always be there for him. A smile spread across his pale lips and he thanked me. It took everything in my power not to burst into tears.

It wasn't very long after when we found out that August had leukemia. Thankfully they had told us away from our son because neither of us could stop the avalanche of emotions we experienced. Armin and I held onto each other for what felt like an eternity as the doctor watched solemnly from his desk. Once we had calmed-or as calm as one can get in a situation like that-the doctor started arranging meetings with specialists. She was sympathetic enough to our worries and offered her assistance whenever we needed it, which was nice, but not the cure we had hoped to receive.

Telling August the news was probably the most difficult part of it all.

I tried to block much of it out, but I remember sitting by his bed, holding tightly onto his hands and offering the best, tear-soaked smile I could. He was nervous; he had never seen his mother reduced to tears before. He asked me a thousand times if I was okay and, despite feeling the weight of the entire world crash upon my shoulders, I told him I was.

When I told him he had "cancer", he gave me a curious look. I thought he had never heard the word before, so I opened my mouth to explain, but he spoke first.

"That's why you're so sad?" he asked, his lips forming into a thin, exhausted smile. "Mommy, I'm strong!"

He was strong. Stronger than I could ever be. He faced death and smiled. Perhaps if he was so willing to fight, Armin and I had nothing to worry about. For the first time in what felt like an eternity wading through worry, I relaxed.

But sometimes, even the bravest soldiers succumb to pain and death.

Watching August get so sick during his treatments was a level of hell I had never expected to be exposed to. Watching your son wither into nothingness as an illness traverses through his body, and knowing damn well there was absolutely nothing you could do about it was a unique sort of pain that I despised with every fiber of my being.

There was one night amidst the hell that forever stood out in my mind, not necessarily as a beacon of hope, but rather a reminder of just how strong my son was. August had a high fever, one that wouldn't be ignored. Armin and I rushed him to the hospital and as we sat in the waiting room, August lay across the couch and rested his head on my lap. I gently ran my finger along his cheek and anxiously played with his hair as he lay rigidly against my body. I tried talking about some of his favorite things, like going to the aquarium when all of this was over. Armin kept offering to get food or water, but August was silent. For a short moment, I feared we had lost him.

After ten agonizing minutes of silence, he finally opened his mouth. He paused momentarily before uttering softly, "Mommy...I'm scared."

And that's when I knew my little soldier was going to lose his battle. His resolve had crumbled and he was too exhausted to fight. I was more than willing to carry him for the rest of his battle, but he faced an injury so great and fatal that the only thing I could do was offer him a bit of comfort.

I shifted carefully, so as to not disturb my son, and reached into my pocket. From within, I pulled the stone that had brought Armin and I together. Our lucky pebble. August's last gift.

"Sweetie," I said softly, gently rousing him. He only opened his eyes but moved no further. This was going to have to be good enough. I reached down and opened his tiny palm before placing the stone in it and closing his fist around it.

"What's that?" August asked, his voice hoarse and tired. He flexed his fist around the stone and relaxed once more.

"Our stone?" Armin asked quietly, and when I nodded, he smiled solemnly.

"When we were little," I recounted, continuing to run my fingers through August's hair, "Dad and I were in a play. I had gotten scared and so, Dad gave me that stone. He told me that it would help me be brave."

"Did it work?" August asked and I nodded.

"Yes. It did." I looked towards Armin who maintained his sad smile. He reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. I breathed in heavily and let out a shaky sigh. "I want you to have it, Sweetie. I know things are scary right now for you and for Dad and I. But know that as long as you have the stone, you can be brave."

"I can be brave," August repeated under his breath, before succumbing to his exhaustion and falling asleep in my arms.

August died two weeks later, adding to the small percentage of children lost to childhood cancer.

To say that the first year was "difficult" would be a drastic understatement. It was _unbearable_.

Whenever I had told people my mom left when I was very young, I would constantly hear the same apologetic speech. I always hated it.

When I had to tell people that the Arlert family was one family member short, the apologies felt like nails on a chalkboard. Every time someone told me that they were "sorry for your loss", I would seize in frustration and sorrow. Armin was always there to calm me down and to prevent me from harming others, verbally or physically. I was so tired of the grief. I was tired of others pretending to know my son the way Armin and I knew him. I was just tired of living in a world without my son.

Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Bertholdt, and Reiner hardly left us alone the first couple of weeks. Armin enjoyed the company, always complaining about how quiet our little home had gotten and how the added voices of our friends was comforting. I was quite the opposite. I wanted to embrace the silence, to be reminded constantly of the loss we had faced. I wanted to hurt and feel something other than happiness. I feared that the moment I smiled or felt things fall back into a more twisted version of "normal", I'd forget August.

Often when our friends came, I would retreat to August's old room and hold the pebble in my hands, rotating it subconsciously as tears dripped from my eyes. I tried blocking out the delighted chatter from the outside and remind myself that there was no reason to be happy when the second love of my life had been taken away from me so cruelly.

One night, as I wept silently upon August's bed, curled up on his made-blankets and pillows, I heard the door to his room creak open. Soft lighting peered through the room shortly, before someone stepped through and shut the door behind them.

"I want to be alone, Armin," I muttered through tears.

"I know you do." The voice belonged, not to my doting husband, but to his close friend, Mikasa. I sat up and looked at her, before quickly dodging her gaze. Mikasa and I had a not-so-friendly history filled with competition and petty squabbles. After I had married her friend, the "fighting", as Eren bluntly put it, became less frequent, though it was quite obvious we didn't consider each other friends.

Therefore, having Mikasa so boldly enter my sanctuary was more than just a little surprising. I sniffed and dabbed at my eyes. "Oh," I said softly, "I...Didn't expect you to be here."

Mikasa made a small sound of affirmation before joining me on my son's bed. She was silent for a moment. She interlaced her fingers and leaned forward, staring ahead. I scooted further away from her and kept my knees to my chest as if trying to signal that I wasn't ready to converse my feelings. But Mikasa persisted anyway. She never gave up on a fight.

"Did I ever tell you about how I lost my parents," Mikasa asked. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head.

"It never came up," I informed and, for a moment, I saw a smile flick across her lips.

"That's fair," she said. "To be honest, I don't remember much of it myself, anyway. But from what the police and witnesses speculate, it's kind of easy to piece together the basics. I was young, about seven years old. It was late at night and three men managed to break into our house. I vaguely remember my parents telling me a bedtime story when we heard some noise coming from the kitchen. My father left my room and tried to stop them, but they shot him down. They found my mother trying to hide me in my closet, and shot her too. I would've been their third victim, had the neighbors not bothered to call the police when they saw the break-in occur. The intruders heard the sirens and left me with my parents."

"So," I began slowly, "you're telling me this to show that there are worse ways to lose your family."

Mikasa shook her head. "No," she answered. "That's a dick move, even coming from me. Your pain and experiences are just as valid as mine is. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that I understand. We've never gotten along and I don't expect us to be best friends after this. But you're not mourning alone, Annie. You never were. We're all here for you and Armin, no matter what our pasts may hold."

Her words had struck a chord within me. For once in my life, I felt at ease with Mikasa by my side. I shook my head slowly. "Does it ever get easier?" I asked softly.

"No," Mikasa informed. "And I don't think it ever will. But you'll learn to adjust to life without August."

I shook my head. "I don't ever want to live a life without August." Then, for the first time that night, I looked her directly in the eyes. "Do you ever fear that you'll forget them? You know, as time goes on?"

Mikasa smiled back at me, a smile filled with understanding and sorrow. "All the time. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember my dad's singing or my mom's voice as she read me stories. Sometimes I forget the structure of their faces or how their hands felt in mine. But it comes back. There will be times when Jean and I are in bed after setting the kids down for the night, he'll pull me close and I'll remember how my dad's hugs felt. Or when Carla grabs my hand when we're crossing the street to get to her school, I'll get flashbacks of walking with my mother to the bus stop when I was Carla's age. But I don't think you'll ever forget him, Annie. I don't think any of us will.

"August was a really good kid. You know, he's the reason I knew you and Armin really loved each other, and that what you had wasn't a relationship built on convenience and nostalgia."

"What do you mean?" I asked, completely unaware that Mikasa had felt that way. I understood that she was cautious of me being a part of Armin's life, but I didn't know she had such strong doubts initially.

"Armin told Eren and I about you being pregnant almost immediately after you told him," Mikasa continued, running her hand along August's bedsheets. "He called us and barely let us talk before telling us. He said he was so excited and happy. He couldn't wait to start a family with you. I knew with Maria he had expressed some excitement when he told us he was planning on marrying her, but it was nothing like the true joy we heard when he told us that you and him were going to become parents." Mikasa laughed quietly for a moment, before falling silent. She breathed out a trembling sigh. "I'm so sorry, Annie. I truly am. I hope that you're able to find strength through this hardship." She pulled herself to her feet and faced me. "If you ever need to talk..."

"Thanks...Mikasa," I muttered and offered her a genuine smile of relief. She nodded my way and showed herself out while I lay back on August's bed and stared at the ceiling, pondering our conversation and thinking back on my own sorrows.

After a few moments of consideration, I sat up and sighed heavily, before placing the pebble on August's nightstand and standing to exit the room to spend the rest of the evening with those I still had.

And here we are, five years later. I never thought I'd make it this far.

Some days are worse than others. Sometimes the parents at work get caught up in their own conversations about watching their kids graduate from high school or sending them off to prom. I often overhear these conversations and think about what could have been, which leads me into a spiral of sadness.

But there are good days too. Really good days. Just last week, Armin found an old DVD with a play performance by August's first-grade class. We watched it together and were overjoyed to see our son singing and dancing around on stage with his classmates. We were both crying by the end of it, but it filled our hearts with a happiness we didn't know was possible when mourning the loss of August.

Today was another one of those good days. On what would have been his fifteenth birthday, Armin and I visited his small plot in the cemetery and casually updated him on our lives. Armin talked about new scientific discoveries and I told him about a book I had started reading that I knew he would have enjoyed. I don't know if he heard us...If there even is something after death. But it was comforting.

We also received some of the best news we could have asked for on a day like today.

Armin and I often discussed the idea of having another kid. We weren't exactly young anymore and we always thought one would have been enough, but there was just something in our hearts that constantly drove us to think about adding another voice to our often-too-quiet home. About two years after August died, we started trying again. After many unsuccessful attempts and a rather jarring hospital visit, we believed our journey to extend our family was officially over. A year after this mess, Armin brought up the idea of adoption. I was initially against it at first, understanding of how expensive and timely it was. But after some careful consideration, I agreed and we started a new journey together: one where we would give a child the home we had been wanting so badly to give to August.

Today, we finally got the news we had been hoping for. Our agency had finally found us a child. Her name is Karolin and she's absolutely beautiful.

As silly as it may sound, Armin and I both feel as if August had a part to play in the agency guiding Karolin home to us.

And so, tomorrow, we board a flight to head to Mozen to meet our daughter. We have endured so much up to this point, often times more heartache than joy, but we hope that this new step we're taking is one closer to that happy ending we've always dreamt of as children. For the first time in years, I'm too excited to sleep.

I can't wait to meet Karolin. And I know Karolin is going to be even more ecstatic to learn of her brother and to meet her entire family of unofficial aunts, uncles, and cousins. And I know they're going to love her just as much.

I should probably finish packing before trying to get some sleep. I still can't imagine how Armin managed to fall asleep so quickly.

Happy birthday, _Mäuschen_ *. I love you, forever and always. And thank you for bringing so much joy to mine and your father's life.

 _Annie Arlert_

* * *

 _ ***Mäuschen** is a German pet name. It typically means honey, sweetie, or pumpkin._

 **This is the official last chapter of Annie Loves Armin. It's been such a fun (and often times slow) ride! Thank you so much to everyone who read this story, as well as to those who commented or voted/favorited. You all made me excited about writing again and I cannot thank you enough!**

 **I also want to thank Ermione for offering to create the cover art for this story! Ermione is my favorite Aruani artist, so you can imagine how excited I got when she offered to make the cover art! Please check out her social media and consider commissioning her! She's beyond talented and so kind!**  
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Ermione's Instagram:  
/ermione_wu**

 **Ermione's Tumblr:  
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 **Ermione's Website:  
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**And of course, I have to give another huge thank you to my friend, Ghazi, without whom none of this story would have been possible. So please, please show Ghazi some love on his Wattpad account (Ghaziimran) because he has written some amazing stories and deserves praise for his creativity!**

 **Thank you again for reading!**

 **Until next time!**


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